Any Way But Down
by LuluLemone
Summary: Slightly AU. Betty is new to Riverdale, coming back to her mother's hometown after her sister's breakdown. She meets her soulmate there and hunts for a murderer. Like any normal teenager. Have faith, this is Bughead though it might not seem it at first.
1. Chapter 1

Any Way But Down

By: LuluLemone

Author's Note : I do not own any of the characters of Riverdale. I just find them interesting archetypes and wanted to play with them a little. This is an idea that has been stuck in my head for a while and if I don't write it, it won't go away. Slightly AU, which will be obvious but I will try to stay as true to the characters as I possibly can. Feedback is welcomed, appreciated and encouraged. Let me know what you think!

CHAPTER ONE:

It was like stepping back in time. The town was small. Tiny. Riverdale. The Town With Pep! At sixteen, Elizabeth Cooper thought it was both spectacular and at the same time, had the potential to be spectacularly boring. Riding in the front seat of her mother's Toyota, Betty stared out the window, taking in the scenery of bike riding kids, lawn mowing dads and the barest glimpse of an honest to God ice cream truck as it turned the corner. Maybe she would be happy here, in this place. Maybe things would be better here.

"Nice little town, isn't it?" Her mother said.

"If it's so nice, why have you never let me visit before?" Betty asked.

"Don't start with me, Elizabeth." Alice retorted.

"It's a legitimate question, mom!" Betty went on, the argument almost as old as they were, "You never once let me visit dad and Polly. You always made them come to us."

"It was more convenient that way."

"That's what you always-"

"I am done with this conversation, Elizabeth!" Alice hissed, "We are almost to the house and I do not want to be talking about this in front of you stepfather."

"Fine," Betty fumed, "does dad know we're getting here today?"

"Betty..."

"When do I get to see dad, mom?"

"Soon, Betty, soon." Alice finally answered, "He's out of town for a journalism conference right now but he'll be back in three days."

Rolling her eyes, Betty slouched down in her seat and crossed her arms of her torso in a huff, discreetly digging her fingernails into the palms of her hands. She glared at the moving truck that coasted along in front of their car, guided by her stepfather, Alan or as she preferred to think of him, Alan the Asshole. In the two years he had been married to her mom, the two of them had never gotten along. Betty had the sneaking suspicion that Alan was the reason that Betty had never been allowed to go to visit her father and sister.

It had taken her sister, Polly having some kind of breakdown and being sent to a hospital to get her mother to finally demand that they move back to her home town of Riverdale so that she could be more involved in the recovery of her eldest daughter. She would be working alongside Betty's dad at his newspaper, The Register and it would be a perfect picture of the dysfunctional family. Betty had wanted to shake her mother and tell her it felt like too little, too late; to ask her if she even knew what was wrong with Polly.

If she did, Alice sure as hell wasn't saying anything to Betty about it. All Betty knew was that there had been some boy. He had broken up with Polly, she cracked up and he disappeared supposedly drowned in Sweetwater River. That was all Betty could pry from her mother.

She was distracted as the moving truck turned a corner and then into the very first driveway of the short culdesac. The house was classic, large and white with a bright red door and black shutters. It could have been on the cover of Homes and Garden magazine, it was that beautiful. Betty took a deep breath and allowed her fingers to relax. She would try to be happy and supportive for her mother, no matter what. Lord knew Alan wasn't the pilar of strength type and, despite their disagreements, Betty loved her mother. She didn't want to make things even more difficult than they already were.

Three hours later, Betty was standing in the middle of her new room staring around at the naked mattress of her bed, her furniture scattered without design against the walls and the piles of boxes and bags and bubble wrapped breakables. She didn't think she could handle the unpacking at the moment. She grabbed a bright pink Nike bag and dug out some running shorts and her tennis shoes.

"Mom!" She called, "I'm gonna go for a run around the neighborhood."

"Okay, sweetie!" Her mom replied, "Not too long! We're gonna have dinner soon!"

Another ten minutes and Betty was listening to the rhythmic THWAP THWAP THWAP of her feet against the concrete. It was another way she relaxed. The physical exertion helped ease her mind, helped calm the anxiety that always seemed to run rampant through her system. As she jogged along, in the distance, a classic looking dark blue convertible rolled toward her. As their paths began the cross, it seemed like everything around her suddenly switched into slow motion.

There was a young man in the front passenger seat, dangling one leather clad arm over the side of the door. He had raven black hair peeking out from beneath a gray wool beanie, straight dark brows and a smattering of perfect beauty marks on his cheek that any woman would have killed for. But it was his eyes that startled Betty so completely that her run slowed to a trot. They were brilliant, bright green and as his gaze locked onto hers and held, Betty's trot slowed again until she finally came to stand still. She felt her heart speed up until it felt like hummingbird wings in her chest. She continued staring at him as the car passed, turning her body to keep it in view. He mirrored her, his head swiveling, not breaking eye contact until they were too far away to maintain it.

Betty pushed out a breath, pulled herself together and picked back up her pace. She had gone about a mile when a deep voice called out to her.

"Hey there!"

When she turned in response, she was met by two figures; a black haired young man with the he sharpest cheekbones she had ever seen in her life and a tall, shirtless red-haired boy with corrugated abs.

Archie Andrews had spotted the blonde about 2.3 seconds before his friend, Reggie Mantle. She came bopping down the sidewalk, all long legs and swinging ponytail and Archie couldn't remember the last time he had seen a girl that caught his breath so quickly.

"Damn," Reggie huffed, "hello, Blondie."

Without even hesitating, Archie held onto the football that he had just caught from Reggie and called out to the girl. The girl stopped running and looked at them, rewarding their presence with a dazzling white smile.

"Hello!" She greeted.

"Haven't seen you before," Reggie butted in.

She smiled even bigger, propping her hands on her hips and walking toward, obviously still working on catching her breath from her run. "Never been here before." She grinned.

Archie felt an answering grin on his own lips, "Just move here?"

The girl nodded, "Yup. About a block from here." She came a little closer and peered up at Archie's house, taking in every detail, "Nice neighborhood."

"Yeah, we like it." Archie said. He could feel how big his smile was. It was starting to make his cheeks hurt, but he couldn't seem to stop it. "I'm Archie, Archie Andrews. This is Reggie."

The lovely blonde raised a single hand, "Betty Cooper."

"Nice to meet you Betty Cooper."

"Nice to meet you, Archie Andrews and you, Reggie."

"You're hot." Reggie said, subtle as always and Betty's cheeks flamed red.

Archie rolled his eyes, "Easy, Bulldog. He's harmless, I swear."

"Uh-huh," Betty laughed, uncomfortable and awkward, she started to turn away, "Okay, it was nice to meet you both. I better..."

"You should come to Pop's with us!" Archie blurted in haste.

"Who?" Betty asked.

"Pop's Choc-Lit Shoppe," Archie went on, delighted that she wasn't leaving, "Best burgers and milkshakes in all of Riverdale."

"Well...I'm supposed to be having dinner with my mom and stepdad tonight..." She said, glancing over her shoulder in the direction that she had just come from.

Archie felt the undeniable wash of disappointment, "Oh, that's okay..."

"Maybe we could do it tomorrow for lunch?" She continued, swinging those big blue eyes back around to meet his.

"Yeah!" Archie said, "Yeah, definitely!"

"Great!" She beamed and then turned and headed away at a fast jog, blonde ponytail bopping.

Reggie slung an arm around Archie's shoulders, "Dayum."

"Yeah." Archie agreed.

When Betty arrived home, her mother was setting the table and Alan was pouring himself a scotch. Big surprise there.

"Get changed, honey," Alice said, "dinner's ready."

"Okay," Betty said, "Five minutes."

As she turned to go up the stairs, out of the corner of her eye Betty caught a glimpse of Alan watching her ascent. An icy chill crawled up her spine. She shook it off and headed toward her bathroom to get cleaned up for dinner.

Author's Note: That's it for now. I know it doesn't seem like a lot has happened, but it will take a little bit of setup before we get to the meat of the story. Just hang on with me! Look forward to what you think!


	2. Chapter 2

Author's Note : First, I think it is going to be obvious that I am messing with the timeline a little bit. I am using the mystery from season one as my base, but as you may have gleaned from the only sighting of Jughead so far, he is already a serpent. There are a few other things I will mash around a bit, but they all serve a purpose in my AU. Second, something that I believe is that the music you listen to when writing can have a huge influence on what you write. With that in mind, I decided to include a list on each chapter of one of the songs that I listened to while writing the chapter; my own little soundtrack if you will. Obviously, not every one imagines mood or scenes in the same way, so feel free to completely disregard the song! I just thought it would be fun to include. Anyway, here is my chapter two! Again, I will emphasize, feedback is encouraged and craved.

Chapter Two Song : 'Prettiest Thing' by Oh Darling

Disclaimer : Don't own the characters. Just really like them.

CHAPTER TWO :

The diner was another drastic time warp, but Betty couldn't deny that she immediately loved it. As soon as Archie opened the door for her, she was bombarded by the smell of frying onions, greasy French fries and sizzling burgers. Archie led her to a booth where Reggie was already sitting accompanied a stunning, sharp featured raven haired girl with an olive toned complexion.

"My God," the girl said without preempt, "you are gorgeous!"

"Uh...thank you," Betty said, feeling her cheeks heating up. Archie slid into the booth and made room for her to sit down beside him.

"I'm Veronica Lodge and I can already tell that we are destined to be besties."

Betty didn't know why but she agreed. She liked Veronica, the vibe or whatever that she was getting from her. Less than thirty words between them and she liked her.

"Okay," Veronica said, slapping a palm on the table, "I am not one to ever sidestep a potential future confrontation so I am going to get this out of the way; your name is Betty Cooper."

"It is." Betty said, her eyebrows crinkling in slight confusion.

"Any relation to Polly Cooper?"

"Veronica!" Archie snapped.

Reggie dropped an arm on the seat behind Veronica's shoulders, "Chill, Andrews. Everyone is gonna be wondering about it anyway."

"It's okay," Betty said with a smile, "Yes. Polly is my sister. I don't know much about what is going on with her. My parents are pretty secretive about it."

Veronica grinned, "Parents can be like that. Okay then, now that that little bit of nastiness is out of the way, you have to try a milkshake. They are to die! And then I'll need to tell you about tryouts for the River Vixens, because with that peppy ponytail and pearly smile, you are definitely going to be one!"

Archie sat back and watched as two of his best friends embraced Betty. It caused a warm feeling in his chest. She was so perfect. She was sweet and pretty and everything that he hadn't known he needed.

His cell-phone chirped in the pocket of his letterman jacket. He pulled it out to read the caller id.

Geraldine.

He looked up just as Betty let out an uninhibited laugh at something Veronica said. The laugh was raspy and breathy and...warm. Then he rejected the call from Geraldine. He was done with that part of his life.

"Bathroom?" Betty asked, looking around.

Veronica pointed at the same time Archie answered, "Straight back."

"Be right back."

Once she was gone, Veronica leaned forward on the table and gushed, "Okay, I am girl crushing!

She is perky and adorable and I want to carry her around in my pocket. Well found, Archikins."

"She's great, isn't she?" Archie grinned.

Reggie shook some pepper onto his fries, "You planning on hitting that, Andrews."

"Reg," Veronica warned, digging an elbow into her boyfriend's ribs, "must you be gross?"

"You like it," Reggie said with a smirk.

Archie shook his head, "I'm planning to date that, Reg. Mark my words, before summer is out, Betty Cooper will be my girlfriend."

Veronica clapped her hands together in giddy delight, then stopped abruptly. "Arch, you do know that Jug is going to hate her."

"V has a point, Arch." Reggie agreed, "Blondie is everything that Donnie Darko loathes in society."

"You guys are wrong. Jug will like her because I like her."

Veronica shrugged, "You're probably right. Or at least he won't outright detest her. To her face."

"C'mon, give the guy some more credit." Archie laughed gestured toward Veronica, "He grew to like you well enough, didn't he?"

Veronica hit him with her dazzler smile, "Well, yes, but I am inherently charming and likable."

"I think Betty's likable." Archie said.

Reggie smirked around a mouthful of French fry, "He got you there, Ronnie."

"Touché, Archikins." Veronica said, "Besides, I'm in love with her. Official Veronica Lodge seal of approval!"

Over the course of the next two weeks, Archie found every excuse possible to see Betty while simultaneously dodging calls and contact with Geraldine Grundy. He knew he would have to deal with her sooner or later, but he preferred later. For the moment, he wanted to focus all of his energy on the miracle that was Betty Cooper.

There was something about her, a vibrancy with which she didn't just live her life, she attacked it. He admired that, he envied that, he wanted to be a part of that. She was unlike any girl he had known before. She jumped in with him and Reggie, throwing the football. She knew how to fix cars. But she also wore pink and lace and ruffles and was so utterly feminine. Everything about her fascinated him.

He was walking down the sidewalk, on his way to meet up with Betty and Veronica at Pop's before heading to the Bijou for a show when an old Volkswagon Beetle pulled to a stop beside him and Geraldine stepped out and slammed the door.

"Why are you ignoring me, Archie?" She asked.

"I just..." Archie stammered at seeing her. She was sexy and mature and he wanted her to touch him. Again.

"Is this about the fourth?"

"We heard a gunshot." Archie said, his eyes on his feet, "And then Jason disappeared."

"Jason Blossom drowned. That gunshot has nothing to do with anything. There is no reason to tell anybody." She stepped forward and touched her long graceful fingers to Archie's flat stomach, "And there is no reason why we can't continue to see each other."

"Until school starts?" Archie asked.

"Yes, until school starts."

Archie's caramel colored gaze swept up and locked on hers, "Maybe I need more than a finite fling."

An image of Betty smiling and laughing with him and his friends. With her, he didn't have to be secretive. He could hold her hand and walk her proudly through the halls of Riverdale High. He didn't have to look over his shoulder when they were together.

"Archie," Geraldine continued, taking another step toward him, touching his forearm, "we've talked about this. What we're doing...it's wrong. It can't continue once we're back in school. I'll go back to being your teacher and you'll go back to being a student."

"That's all I am?" Archie hissed, "Just another student?"

"You know that's not true."

"Do I?"

"Archie," Geraldine said in a plea, "you know how complicated our situation is. You mean so much to me. This summer, when we're alone, I'm free to be Geraldine. But once we're back within the walls of Riverdale High, I have to be Ms. Grundy."

Archie caught her around the wrist and removed her hand from his arm, but didn't release it. "I don't know if I can settle for that. And I'm late to meet my friends."

It took significant will power on his part, but Archie managed to force himself to release his hold on her. He couldn't help but think about the things that those hands had done to him; had made him feel. But he could move past that. He would move past that...and he would focus on Betty. He turned and walked away from his older lover.

He met up with Veronica and Betty at Pop's and then the three of them met up with Reggie at the Bijou. Betty and Veronica walked arm in arm through the door that Archie held open for them. Reggie had already purchased the tickets and was standing in line for the concession stand. Without releasing her hold on Betty, Veronica closed the distance and greeted the dark haired boy with loud smack of a kiss. "Hi there, handsome!"

True to her word, Veronica had indeed become Betty's best friend. The two were practically inseparable. Where there was B, there was V and vice versa.

"What'll you have, beautiful?" Reggie asked.

"Twizzlers for me and Betty wants Raisenettes and...ooh...B? Do we want regular coke or cherry?"

"Is that even a question? Cherry." Betty replied.

"True." Veronica said before her eyes cut back to Reggie, "Cherry Coke. Large. B and I wanna share."

"Exactly who is dating who, here?" Reggie demanded.

"Now, darling, don't be jealous." Veronica cooed.

"I for one support the sharing," Archie chimed, sliding in close to Betty who smiled up at him with her usual sweet warmth.

"Thank you, Archikins!" Veronica said, "I hope you're taking notes, Reggie, my love."

Reggie reply was to reach over a punch Archie in the shoulder.

Snacks were obtained and the foursome made their way into the theatre to find their seats, Betty and Veronica snuggled in between the two strapping lads. When the lights dimmed and the previews began, Archie knew it was time. He leaned toward Betty and on a whisper offered her some of his popcorn. She immediately reached her hand into his popcorn tub to take some and he made his move, raising an arm and dropping it around her shoulders.

She seemed a little startled by the action and looked to Veronica, who beamed a smile and scrunched her nose up in approval. After that, Betty relaxed against him and Archie knew everything was right with the world.

What the hell is happening? Betty's mind screamed. It felt as though she were being maneuvered into something that she hadn't agreed to; like an unruly horse being tricked into a corral. As the movie started, Archie seemed to ease himself even closer to her side. It wasn't that it made her uncomfortable, per se, it was just new territory and really soon. She had only been in town a few weeks. She felt her breathing escalating as her fingers slowly curled into her palms.

No! She bellowed inside her own head. She would not lose it. Archie was...wonderful. Archie was sweet and a good guy and cute as hell. Not to mention...well...the abs. The boy was ripped. Maybe this wasn't something for her to panic over. Maybe Archie would be good for her. She relaxed her hands, took a breath and forced her body to lean a little more into him. Archie seemed to radiate joy when she did and to be honest, that made her feel pretty nice.

Yes. This could be good. This would be good.

Archie Andrews and Betty Cooper.

Sure.

Why not?

Author's Note: Well, that's it for now. Guess who's making an appearance in the next scene! Anyway, I hope you are enjoying. Let me a comment and let me know what you think! Also, even if you don't think it fits, if you don't know it, I recommend the song. It is pretty adorable.


	3. Chapter 3

Author's Note : So, excited to post this chapter! Things are gonna start getting angsty! Please, please, please let me now how you are liking the story so far! Also, let me know if you are feeling my song choices for each chapter. I am enjoying writing this and I really want to know if you are enjoying it as well. I like to read your thoughts on the situation. Anyway, onto the chapter!

Chapter Three Song : 'White Rabbit' by Jefferson Airplane

Disclaimer : Don't own the characters. Just really like them.

CHAPTER THREE :

The sound of white floral curtains being ripped open with _schwick_ and blinding bright sunlight awoke Betty from a sound sleep. She cracked open an eyelid to see her mother opening the curtains on her second window.

"Rise and shine, sunshine!" Alice chirped.

"Mom? Why...?"

"Time to get up, sleepy head," her mother cut her off, "I have to get to work. You have chores to do and don't forget the Open House at the high school is tonight. Meet your teachers, tour the school and get prepared for Monday! I believe that nice young man you've been spending time with will be performing! I don't have to remind you again how important this year is for colleges. Extra curriculars and an impeachable moral character are the key words in the game."

"Mom..."

"Schools do look at that kind of thing, Elizabeth."

"I know that, mom."

"So, time to get up to face the day!" Alice beamed as she headed for the door, "No puffy eyes tonight. We want to make a good first impression."

Betty sat up in bed and rubbed a fist over her eyes. Just as her mother closed Betty's bedroom door behind her, Betty's cellphone beeped at her from the nightstand.

ARCHIE - You up?

BETTY - Just now. My mom practically dragged me out of bed by the ankle.

ARCHIE - LOL. Well I just wanted to say good morning.

BETTY - Good morning.

ARCHIE - I had fun last night.

BETTY - Me too.

ARCHIE - Especially at the end.

Betty didn't know how to respond to that last message, knowing he was referring to the kiss. After the movie, Reggie had dropped Betty off first and Archie had gotten out with her, telling Reggie that he would walk the block to his house after he had seen her safely inside.

He had walked her to her door and when she had turned to tell him 'good night,' he had leaned foward and pressed his lips to hers.

The kiss had been...nice. Archie's lips had been warm and soft. The kiss hadn't been either too sloppy or too dry. It had been...nice.

And he really was so sweet. She finally managed to reply.

BETTY- Me too.

It wasn't a lie. That's what she told herself. She had enjoyed the kiss.

ARCHIE - I'll see you at open house right?

BETTY - Yep.

ARCHIE - Great! :-) Can't wait.

Betty set her phone aside. It felt like Archie had just turned a school open house into a date. How had she not seen that coming? The same way she hadn't really seen the arm at the theater or the kiss coming, she supposed.

She wasn't going to think about it at the moment. She was going to focus on one thing at a time and get through the day. She wasn't going to worry about what she was going to say to Archie when she saw him or how she would respond if...when he kissed her again. Because he would.

Her phone dinged again and she almost ignored it, but she wasn't the kind of person who could just ignore a friend. So she picked it up.

V - Good morning, gorgeous!

BETTY - Good morning, V.

V - I need details. Did you and the ginger Adonis finally lip lock? Did he make his move?

BETTY - Yes and yes.

V - Swoon!

BETTY - Yeah.

Betty dropped the phone and went to take a shower. She didn't know if at the moment she was equipped to handle the enthusiasm of her best friend for something that she wasn't altogether certain of her feelings toward. Best to focus on the mundane. Shower, brushing her teeth, doing the dishes, taking out the trash; all of which could be handled in a step by step process and serve as a nice healthy distraction for at least the next hour or two.

After that...she'd figure something out.

When Betty arrived at the double doored front entrance of Riverdale, the tension in her body was such that her shoulders were practically scrunched up around her ears. Her mother placed a firm hand between her shoulder blades and guided Betty into the large brick building that looked like so many other large brick buildings. Alan had had to work late which was a small mercy. Betty felt a little silly in the outfit her mother had selected for her; a pink dress, white cardigan and matching pink ribbon in her hair. She felt like a child.

The two followed the crowd down the hallway to the auditorium where there were refreshments and a stage with speakers and lights. People were milling around, chatting and catching up. Alice spotted Betty's father, Hal in the corner speaking with Mayor McCoy and made a beeline for them, abandoning Betty at the back of the crowded room.

Betty wasn't alone for long however as Veronica appeared with a tall, handsome brown haired young man.

"Betty!" Veronica, looking svelte and sophisticated in a dark purple dress and pearl necklace, squealed and threw her arms around her neck in a quick embrace before stepping back, "This is Kevin Keller, our esteemed Sherrif's son. Kevin, Betty Cooper."

"Nice to..."

"My God!" Kevin cut Betty off, "You are..."

"I know." Veronica said.

Kevin looked at her, "She is..."

"I told you." Veronica beamed.

He turned back to Betty, "Your hair, those eyes! You're like a life sized American Girl doll. Can we keep her?"

"I've already signed the adoption papers." Veronica beamed.

Betty stifled a laugh, "My God, you guys."

Veronica linked arms with her and started guiding them down the middle aisle, "Reggie is saving us seats up front so we can be super close while Archikins plays."

"I just..." Betty struggled to think straight, "I just need to find a bathroom first."

Kevin nodded, "Sure. Out the doors, first right and down to the end of the hall."

"Okay," Betty said, "I'll be right back."

Betty practically lunged through the auditorium door and sucked in a gasp of air. She unfurled her fingers and looked down at her palms. Blood stained crescents winked back at her. She forced a breath and began walking down the hall. As she rounded the corner and the noise from the crowd dulled, another sound floated through the air.

Betty stopped walking and tilted her head, as though it would increase her hearing abilities. Jefferson Airplane? Slower this time, she started moving again, this time following the music. The humor did not escape her that she was following the notes of a song titled "White Rabbit" down the proverbial rabbit hole to its source. It seemed to be coming from behind a door with a metal plaque above it that read : Blue and Gold.

The school's paper? That was fortunate. She would be seeing about getting a position with them with the semester started. Maybe she could just take a quick look.

There was a glass window that took up the upper portion of the door, but the blinds were drawn. The door was cracked open the slightest bit. Using only her fingertips, Betty eased the door forward and peered around it. A tall, lanky boy clad in a black flannel shirt with white suspenders hanging loose from dark blue jeans leaned over computer, tip-tapping away. His back was to her but she could she the ends of his dark black hair peeking from beneath a gray wool beanie and she felt her breath catch in her throat as the image of the boy in the convertible from her first day in town rolled through her mind's eye. A noisy printer sounded off from the corner. The boy put his knee on a rolling chair and gave a shove with his straight leg, sliding across the linoleum floor to the printer. He produced an uncapped red Sharpy from thin air and began drawing circles on what the printer had spat at him.

Betty started to back out the door but before she could make her quiet exit, she bumped into a table that sat beside the door and sent a heavy plastic travel mug clattering with humiliating noise to the ground. The boy straightened from the computer and spun around to face her, locking her in place with that brilliant green gaze. His face was even more captivating than she remembered.

"Hi, there," he said as he clicked off the speaker hooked to his cell phone, one side of his mouth quirking upward it what might have been the most attractive smirk she had ever seen.

"Hi." She said, all wit.

He stared at her for another second and then took one step forward, "Uh, the open house is in the auditorium. It's down the hall to the le..."

"Yes!" She squeaked, and then calmed, "Yes. I, uh, I just came from there. I was looking for the bathroom, heard your music, saw the sign and peeked it. I was trying not to disturb you which I have obviously succeeded spectacularly at."

He crossed his arms over his chest and leaned back against a desk, raising his eyebrows at her, "You wanted to look in at a high school paper room?"

"Well, yeah." Betty said, not bothering to hold back her smile, "I'll be setting an appointment to meet with your editor on Monday. Hoping there's room for another journalist. I used to write for the paper at my old school and kind of wanted to pick up where I left off."

"You're in luck," He said, straightening and stepping toward her, "you're talking to him now."

Betty felt her eyes widen of their own accord, "Oh!"

He offered a hand, "Jughead Jones, editor and chief such as the title warrants."

"Jughead?" Betty couldn't stop the question even as she slipped her hand into his larger, warm one.

"Trust me, my given name is worse. And you are..."

"Oh, sorry! Betty Cooper!"

"Betty Cooper." His face broke into a full fledged smile and Betty thought her heart might stop, "Do you have any of your articles?"

"With me? Here?" Betty was a little taken aback, "Tonight?"

He nodded.

"Uh, well...no."

"Not very prepared for this are you, Betty Cooper?"

"Well, I...I mean..."

He suddenly broke into a full fledged smile, which was brilliant, and chuckled in a soft tone, "Relax, Coop. I'm messing with you."

Betty cleared her throat, stroked a hand over a curl that her mother had meticulously arranged and composed herself.

"Is your old school paper online?"

Betty quirked an eyebrow, "Of course."

He turned, punched two keys on the computer keyboard behind him and the rather outdated monitor blinked to life revealing the search engine "Sleuthster." Jughead turned back to her and jerked his chin toward the computer monitor, "Got enough time to pull it up and sit for a minute?"

Betty nodded, probably just a tad too eager. "Of course."

She walked over and bent over the keyboard, expecting him to step back and make room for her. He didn't. He smelled warm and spicy and wonderful. Betty tried not to let herself get distracted. She tapped in the web address of her school's newspaper and pulled up her articles. As soon as she stepped back, Jughead leaned in for a closer look. Betty watched his pretty green eyes dart back and forth as he scanned the words on the screen. It felt like an eternity before he turned back to her.

"Editor." It was a statement, not a question.

Betty responded, "Assistant editor."

"You gonna be gunning for my job, Coop?"

Betty smiled, big and bright, "Eventually."

Betty's heart almost stopped when he touched the corner of his mouth with the tip of his tongue. "Alright," he nodded, "Forewarned is forearmed, I guess. Your stuff is good."

Betty straightened, trying to appear unfazed and confident, "I know."

He gave one more solitary nod, "Staff meetings Mondays and Wednesdays at 3:30. Any other meetings are scheduled on an individual basis. Copies are due no later than lunch on Thursday. We Print Thursday evening and distribute Friday morning. See you then."

With that, he turned back to the computer. Betty, giddy and excited more than she had been since arriving, held in a tight squeal and then walked out, casting one last glance at the handsome dark haired boy over her shoulder. Just as her eyes slid back, he looked over his shoulder at her, meeting her gaze and gifting her with a parting quirk of his lips that was more smirk than smile.

Dear, Lord.

When Betty re-entered the auditorium, still grinning from ear to ear, she was greeted by Kevin and Veronica.

"Where were you?" Veronica hissed.

Betty's smile dropped, "What? I...the bathroom."

Kevin cast a covert glance around the room where people were apparently started to rise from their seats.

Wait. When had everyone sat down?

"You missed Archie's song," Veronica breathed.

"Oh, no!" Betty said, touching a hand to her forehead, "I didn't...I couldn't..."

Veronica rubbed her upper arm, "It's okay. I'm sure he..."

Kevin cleared his throat and jerked his chin to bring their attention to where Archie was zig-zagging his way through the crowd toward them.

Veronica's dark gaze bored into Betty's, "Okay, he was amazing. You found his take on 'Crazy' haunting. Go."

And Archie was there.

"Hey guys!" He took Betty by the arms and turned her toward him, "Well?"

Betty hesitated, "Uh...that was..." She glanced over at Veronica, "uh...haunting!"

"It was for you. Could you tell?"

Betty tried to swallow the boulder that had just lodged in her throat.

"Of course!" Veronica rescued her, "I mean, it was obvious."

"Yeah," Betty said, her smile tight and strained, "obvious."

That seemed enough for Archie. His smile was the opposite of strained. It was big and genuine; the way hers had been when she had been talking to Jughead. Something ugly twisted in the pit of Betty's stomach.

"Should we go to Pop's?" Archie chimed, "We should go to Pop's!"

"I'm in." Veronica said, linking her arm through Betty's and pulling her just slightly away from Archie. As the two turned their backs to the sweet souled ginger, they shared a 'that was close' look and made their way through the crowd to the exit, Reggie, Archie and Kevin trailing in their wake.

Archie climbed out of the passenger side of Reggie's car and couldn't stop the smile from his face when he saw Betty emerging from Veronica's town car with Veronica and Kevin. God, she was pretty.

And she was his.

The trio disappeared inside and Reggie trotted to catch up to them.

There was an extra swagger in Archie's step as he headed toward the entrance of Pop's. He was just reaching for the handle when he heard the rumble of a motorcycle nearby. Over his shoulder, he saw a rider pull in on his bike. The white hand drawn crown on the helmet and Serpents leather jacket told him it was Jughead. He turned away from the diner and went to meet his best friend.

"Jug!" Archie called.

Jughead pulled off his helmet, "Hey, Arch."

As Jughead dismounted the bike, Archie slapped a hand to his shoulder, "You gotta come meet my girl."

Author's Note : Well, that's it for now. Tell me what you think! How did you feel about Bughead's first official meeting? Like the song choice? Questions? Comments? Complaints? I appreciate any and all of it!


	4. Chapter 4

Author's Note : Okay, updates will not usually happen this quickly. I was feeling kind of inspired this weekend. I'm enjoying tinkering around with Riverdale, I hope you're enjoying it too. Please let me know either way. I truly welcome all feedback. If you like where I'm going, let me know. If you think I got something wrong, let me know. All comments are welcome and appreciated.

Chapter Four Song : 'breathin' by Ariana Grande

Disclaimer : Don't own the characters. Just really like them.

CHAPTER FOUR :

The bell above the door to Pop's gave a cheerful ding as Kevin pulled it open and held it for Betty and Veronica to enter, arm in arm. Betty took a deep breath, inhaling the wonderful scent of grilling onion and frying potatoes. It was amazing how quickly this diner, with its red vinyl seats, neon lights and comforting food smells had become like home to her. Reggie spotted some teammates in a far booth. Betty recognized this only from their blue and yellow letterman jackets and not because she knew any of their faces. After a quick kiss to Veronica's temple, Reggie darted over to go talk to them. Kevin caught Veronica's wrist in one hand and Betty's in the other and hurried them into a vacant booth at the other side of the diner away from the football team.

"Okay," Kevin said, casting a glance over to where Reggie stood laughing with the group of fellow Bulldogs, "while we have a moment alone, guess who propositioned me in the bathroom at open house. I'll give you a hint, his name is Moose but a certain appendage is more horselike."

"Oh, my God," Veronica hissed, leaning in close, "Moose!"

Betty instinctively leaned across the table as though in on the conspiracy, though she had no idea who they were talking about.

Veronica's forehead crinkled in confusion, "Wait, isn't he dating..."

"Midge!" Kevin finished for her, "I know. Adorable little beard."

"So," Betty interjected, "does she know she's a beard."

"Definitely not. Sweet girl. Little bit stony." Veronica explained.

"What's stony?" Reggie asked, sliding into the booth beside Veronica while simultaneously succeeding in wedging Kevin against the window. This left the spot beside Betty vacant...for Archie she supposed.

Pop appeared with milkshakes and a large plate of cheese sticks and two smaller plates of fries. Betty didn't hesitate to grab fry a pop it into her mouth. It burned her tongue and lips, but as the salty flavor hit her taste buds she easily decided it was so worth it the brief flash of pain.

"The quarry," Veronica said in answer to Reggie's question.

For what may have been the first time in his life in Betty's brief, but confident estimation, Reggie got to feel like the intellectual superior. "Well...yeah." He said.

The bell above the door chimed and Archie's voice rang out not a second later, "Betty, I want you to meet somebody."

Still chewing, Betty's head began to swivel just as a familiar voice sent a deep, horrified shiver down the center of her spine. "Betty?" The voice asked.

She inhaled, pulling half chewed French fry down her larynx. She choked, coughed and sputtered and finally managed to catch her breath before forcing a smile to her face and turning to look over her shoulder.

It took every bit of will power in her being to keep from letting that smile fall as she rose to her feet from the booth, just this side of unsteady and stood to face the two boys who had just entered the diner together. Archie stood there like a conquering hero and by his side was none other than Jughead Jones. He was wearing the leather jacket he had been wearing in the car the first day she had seen him. He wore it well. His thick dark hair was mussed and standing in all directions, in need of fingers to comb through it. Betty's chest ached at the sight. The half smile on Jughead's face was sardonic as those green eyes darted back and forth between herself and Archie. It felt like that first moment again, as though everything had slipped into slow motion.

"Jughead Jones," Archie said, resting an easy arm around the other boy's shoulders, "my girlfriend, Betty Cooper."

The word went off like an alarm blaring in her head over and over and over. Girlfriend? When had she agreed to that? They had kissed. Once. And really, if you wanted to break it down into semantics, _he _had kissed _her. _Her participation had been minimal. When and how did that equate to being someone's girlfriend? Her chest constricted and it became increasingly difficult to pull oxygen into her lungs. The look on Jughead's face was somewhere between resentment and resignation.

"Betty, this is Jughead, my best friend."

Betty wanted to throw up. Of course Archie was Jughead's best friend.

Jughead looked to Archie with a slightly raised brow, "This is your girlfriend." It was a statement, not a question. He had a way of doing that; of taking something most people would turn into a rhetorical question and lay it out flat and bare for all the world to examine. When those green eyes swung back in Betty's direction, she wasn't smiling anymore. "Of course you are. That...makes total sense."

Jughead stepped forward and held out his hand to shake, "Nice to see you again, Betty."

Archie didn't miss the word choice, "Again?"

"Yeah," Jughead said as he stepped back and shoved both hands into the pockets of his jeans, "We met briefly at open house. She's gonna come write for the Blue and Gold."

A gasp sounded behind her and Betty looked over her shoulder to see Veronica, shameless eavesdropper that she was, clapping her hands together and smiling ear to ear. Kevin was grinning at her as well. Reggie was eating French fries.

"That's awesome!" Archie exclaimed, sounding so genuinely happy that Betty felt a knot of guilt tighten in her belly and her fingers, of their own accord, curled in on themselves. Archie moved away from Jughead and closed the distance between herself and him, wrapping his arms around her shoulders and kissing her quick on the lips. Like a habit. Like they had done it a million times before. At least, she was certain that that is what it would look like to an outsider. To Jughead. But they hadn't! She wanted to scream it at the world. They hadn't kissed but one other time! All of this was wrong!

"Okay," Jughead said, giving her and Archie and the others at the table a quick wave, "you kids enjoy your burgers. I'm out."

"Where you going, Jug?" Archie asked, "You're not staying?"

"Nah, I'm supposed to meet Sweet Pea and Fangs in ten."

"Oh," Archie nodded, "Well, you should all come back and hang out."

Jughead gave a thoughtless, absent minded nod, "Yeah, maybe. Let me see what they were stressing about on the phone earlier. See you all on Monday!"

And just like that he vanished. Betty couldn't stop staring at the door, even as Archie guided her back into sitting in the booth she had risen from. Her mind was swirling with the encounter, making her nauseous and dizzy. She needed to latch on to something to calm and steady herself. So, she picked Jughead's words and went with them.

"Sweet Pea and Fangs?" She asked no one and everyone at the table.

"Oh," Kevin was the first to speak, happy to share gossip, "Jughead is the leader of the Southside Serpents."

"Their Serpent King," Veronica said without a beat skipping between the two.

"Technically, the Serpent Prince, but the heir apparent in any case. He's destined to take over when his old man steps down." Kevin continued, "They're kind of a gang."

"He's a member of a gang?" Betty couldn't keep little tremble of fear out of her voice. That's what it was. Fear. Not arousal. Not the bad boy fantasy induced lust. Fear.

"Well, yeah, but it isn't really as bad as it sounds." Archie defended his best friend.

"That's true," Veronica said, "Most of the serpents are just kids who formed what Jug likes to call a community. Somewhere to belong."

"The others...well..." Kevin searched for the correct word, "they're..."

Reggie supplied it for him, "Criminals."

"But Jug is trying to put a stop to all of that," Veronica was fast to say, "He's smart."

"Scary smart." Archie added.

"And really," Kevin said, not knowing the gravity of the words he was about to utter, "it is just a matter of time before Jughead gets his way."

Betty couldn't stop her gaze from drifting to the window, just in time to see the singular taillight of a motorcycle make a hard right out of Pop's parking lot a speed off down the road. Where would he go, she wondered. She had seen the confusion on his face when Archie had introduced her, followed quickly by...disappointment? Her heart beat faster at the idea that maybe he had been disappointed at the thought of her being with someone else. Was that conceited? After all, they had only just met. But in that brief encounter, she had felt something almost electric crackle in the air between them. There had been a connection. She had't imagined it. And the look in his eyes when he found her in the diner told her that he had felt it too.

Dammit.

Archie's arm dropped heavily around her shoulders, like an anchor pinning her in place. She fought off the almost overwhelming urge to shrug out from under the embrace. To shove him away and tell him to never touch her again. He didn't deserve her scorn or even her resentment. He was only acting on feelings that he believed to be shared between them. He had no way of knowing that she didn't return his enthusiasm for their 'relationship' because she had led him to believe that she did. On the left was the rock, on the right was the hard place and sandwiched smack dab in the middle was one Betty Cooper.

The four people around her continued excited conversation about the upcoming school year, dances, football games and catching the performance of some cat band they all gushed over. Betty couldn't focus on what they were saying. It was Kevin who finally broke the easy flow of conversation.

With one last, noisy slurp of his straw, Kevin finished off his vanilla milkshake. Then he cast a glance down at his watch, "Love to continue but I've got a rendezvous to keep at Sweetwater River!"

Author's Note : Okay, that's it. I know it was brief, but it was important. As I will always ask, please review. Please let me know what you think. That's all I ask. Thanks!


	5. Chapter 5

Author's Note : Hello! So, this isn't really getting much a response. I hope I'm not doing something wrong. I'm just gonna keep doing what I'm doing because I am having fun with the story. But I will admit, any feedback would be greatly appreciated. That's all. Here's the chapter.

Chapter Five Song : 'Lolita' by Lana Del Rey

Disclaimer : Don't own the characters. Just really like them.

CHAPTER FIVE :

Monday morning came faster than Betty realized was possible. It seemed like no time and her alarm was going off, her mother was tapping on the door telling her not to be late for school and she was staring at her reflection in the mirror tightening her ponytail and smearing a pink gloss across her lips. Was she wearing too much pink? Would Jughead think so? He seemed more into darker colors.

How narcissistic could one person be? Friday night, while Archie had been dropping her at her door for the night, hitting her with yet another not-unpleasant yet completely unremarkable kiss, Kevin had been at Sweetwater River where he had literally tripped over Jason Blossom's murdered body. It was barely dusk on Saturday morning and it seemed as though half of the town had congregated on the shore of the river to watch Jason's bloated, lifeless body being shipped off to the coroner's office. Betty had been amongst them, standing at Archie's side, her mother _and_ her father standing together just a few feet ahead of them. Her father had even reached over and squeezed her mother's shoulder at one point. That had been interesting to witness considering that her parents had split up their children and fled to different states in order to keep contact between themselves to the barest minimum.

Archie had seemed tense and uncomfortable. An understandable reaction to seeing someone you had known most of your life being pulled from a body of water and zipped into a body bag. But it was the first time Betty had ever seen him like that. He didn't want to talk about it, but he walked around the rest of the day with his shoulders tight and his jaw strained. She knew she should be doing something to offer him some kind of comfort, but she didn't really know exactly what. She hadn't known Jason; didn't know what his relationship with Archie had been? Had they been friends? Acquaintances? Strangers who every once in a while passed each other in the hall? What did you say to comfort someone for a loss that you didn't know the extent of?

She had been pulled away from thinking about comfort when she had thought she'd heard her mother's voice say something about "hoping Jason suffered" and "burning in hell." But that didn't make any sense. Why would he mother wish something so malicious on someone she had barely known? Sure, Betty knew that he'd had a relationship with her sister but...wishing someone to hell in earnest seemed extreme. Did her parents blame Jason for Polly's issues? They hadn't said as much to Betty, but then they hadn't really said anything to Betty about Polly other than to tell her that she was 'somewhere safe getting the help she needed.'

So many things seemed to be happening all at once and so quickly, Betty couldn't seem to get her bearings on the situation.

It didn't help that with one glance around at the gathered spectators at the river's edge, for one fleeting moment, Betty locked blue eyes with green just in time to see him turn away and walk, hands in pockets, up the muddy bank to the street.

Jughead.

He had been there as well. Hanging back on the fringe of the crowd; observing the goings on; those sharp eyes taking in and making note of every detail. Betty didn't know how she knew that that was what he had been doing. She just did. She understood it in a fundamental way that she had never understood anything else.

She knew that was what Jughead was doing, because that was what she had been doing herself. Until she had seen his eyes and all rational thought had escaped like a puff of smoke in the wind. She had wanted to go after him.

She hadn't.

In the present, Betty shook away the thought of green eyes and soft looking black curls and headed downstairs for a bowl of Fruity Pebbles. Slanted sunlight flooded the kitchen through the angled blinds as Alan stood at the breakfast bar sipping a cup of coffee. His yellowish eyes skittered over her from head to toe when she entered.

"Excited for your first day of school?" He asked.

Betty shrugged, "I guess. It's just school. I'm sure it won't be too much different."

"Make sure you sign up for extra curriculars." Alice's voice rang from somewhere in the vicinity of the living room.

Betty reached into the fridge for milk, "Well, I met the editor of the school paper at open house. He read a few of my articles for the Gambler and said he had a spot for me, so there's that already."

Like a magic poof, Alice was by her side, "The paper! You've already got a spot on the paper! That's my girl!"

Alice took significant pride in her own journalism career and had been so thrilled when Betty had started to show an interest in the profession. She had always nurtured that interest, proofreading Betty's articles, questioning her sources, suggesting who she might go to for research and quotes. She had made Betty a better writer.

Betty nodded as she poured the milk over her cereal, "And Veronica said that tryouts for the River Vixens are today at lunch."

"What's a River _Vixen_?" Alan said from behind his mug, his eyes locked on Betty. She didn't like the way he had said the word ' vixen.'

"It's the cheerleading squad," Betty's mother answered for her, "Cheerleading. Hmmm. I guess that..."

"It'll look good on a college application, mom."

"Besides," Alan smiled, "Betty will make a nice cheerleader."

"You're right." Alice conceded, "Okay, hurry it up! Don't be late!"

She had no more than said the words when there was a knock at the front door.

Betty went to answer it to find Archie waiting on the other side. He smiled, "I thought I'd walk you to school."

The first day at Riverdale High was much as Betty had expected it would be. No significant differences from her old school...with the exception of the captain of the cheerleading squad. River Vixen tryouts introduced her to the viper that was Cheryl Blossom who had apparently not been her sister's biggest fan. She was the sister of the recently discovered murdered boy and she went off on a tangent about Polly until Betty wanted to rip her bright red hair out by the roots. She managed to maintain her calm by the grace of something holy, though she could feel the sticky warm liquid on her clenched fists. Then Veronica, like the avenging angel she was, stepped in and made the ginger bitch shut the hell up.

There was a reason Betty had found Veronica so easy to adore.

And so, Betty was officially a cheerleader. Part of her was certain that Cheryl had only agreed to it in order to keep her close...like one should always do with their enemies. It didn't matter though. The outcome was the same regardless and that was the outcome that Betty had wanted. To be a member of the cheerleading squad.

It still hit her hard, the vehemence in Cheryl's disdain for her sister. Her parents had wished bad things on Jason's eternal soul, Cheryl was talking about Polly like she was psychotic daughter of Satan and Betty guilty by association. What the hell had happened between her sister and this poor dead boy that had their nearest and dearest detesting the very air that they breathed? And why wouldn't her family tell her anything about it? It had to be pretty bad.

Betty tried to push the distracting thoughts aside for the remainder of the day. When she got home, she could lock herself in her room and pontificate, pull out the few facts that she knew and examine them from every angle, try to fit them together and form some sort of cohesive picture. For now, she'd focus on school itself. She shared three classes with Archie, two with Veronica and only one with Jughead.

Jughead.

He was in her fourth period chemistry class. She hadn't been fully prepared for the feeling when she had walked in and seen him perched on a stool at a lab table with an open book. The room smelled of propane, chemical cleaners and bleach. Glass beakers and Bunsen burners lined the walls with plastic tubes sticking from clear glass jars positioned at strategic intervals along the wall to wall shelving. Jughead had been staring down at his book, eyes darting back and forth over the text, beanie present as ever atop his head, one lock of thick dark hair hanging in a tantalizing curl across his forehead. Her fingers has itched to brush that curl away. Then, as though fate had it in for her, he had chosen to glance up at her just as Archie had appeared behind her and touched his hand to the middle of her back.

Archie's sudden and unexpected touch had startled her and she had jumped nearly out of her skin. At the same time she'd watched as Jughead's gaze darted away from the two of them. Her stomach had lurched at the thought of partnering with Archie while Jughead sat just feet away, within touching distance. But, it was Veronica to the rescue again! She swooped in, caught Betty by the arm and led her away.

"Sorry, Archikins!" V called over her shoulder, "Dibs!"

Betty's relief was only momentary because Archie immediately swerved to take the seat next to Jughead. To be his partner.

Yup. Fate, that rotten bitch, clearly hated her.

Jughead's first day back at school was spent mainly on autopilot. That wasn't exactly out of the ordinary. He did most things at Riverdale High on autopilot. He'd become a master at going through the motions when within these walls. He cared about The Blue and Gold, his fellow serpents and Archie Andrews. Outside of those things, he put his head down, did his work and waited for graduation. He'd been drawn into a few confrontations over the years, normally over some injustice that he saw and wrote about or in defense of a friend. However, there was one blaring difference this year that he couldn't seem to shake or ignore; her. She strolled into the chem lab looking so preppy and pink and pretty and...off limits. She had seemed too good to be true the other night when she had burst into his world at the Blue and Gold. He should have known. A girl like that, golden and shining like a new penny, his complete damn opposite...she and Archie had probably been drawn to each other like magnets.

It pricked at something in him, stung just a little bit. But he'd survived worse. He'd move on.

Archie landed on the stool to his side and dropped his books on the table. "I feel like it's gonna be a good year, Jug."

"Yeah?"

"Everything feels like it's coming together."

His best friend looked so happy, Jughead felt like an ass that he couldn't be enthused for him. He'd get there. He would. He just needed to get beyond the instant, ridiculous puppy dog crush that had come over him like a famine. Once he got past that, he'd be fine.

What the hell had come over him anyway? He must have eaten a bad cheeseburger. He'd get over it. 'Crushes' weren't Jughead Jones's thing. He'd walk it off and get his attention focused back on the important things in his life, like writing and the serpents. He wouldn't remain stuck on one perky little blonde for very long. That wasn't the way the world worked. Not his world anyway.

Archie felt like he was the king of Riverdale. The 'hot new girl' that everybody was talking about was his girlfriend. He had already overheard Reggie telling some of the football team that she was 'Andrews' girl.'

Andrews' girl. He liked the sound of that. They were Betty and Archie. Archie and Betty. Their names just sounded right together. There was a little extra something in his step; his step which faltered when Geraldine Grundy stepped in front of him, blocking his path.

"Mr. Andrews," she said, looking timid in the shy, endearing way that she had about her, "could I speak with you in the music room?"

Archie's entire body tensed in reaction to the invitation. He did a quick sweep in both directions before nodding and following her into the empty classroom. She closed the door behind them and turned the lock.

"I miss you, Archie." She said as she turned and leaned back against the door.

Archie wanted to touch her. He didn't know he could want something so bad. "You said once school started back up, we'd go back to being just teacher and student."

"I...made a mistake." She said, closing the distance between them the slightest bit, reaching her hand out, brushing her fingertips over his abdomen. It felt like fire through the thin cotton of his shirt. "I think if we're careful...if we..."

"Ms. Grundy," He cut her off, keeping it as formal as he could and stepping back away from her touch, "I think you were right. I mean, I have a-"

"A girlfriend? The blonde, right? The new girl?" Geraldine countered, following him step for step, flattening her palm to his stomach this time, "Do you really think she understands you the way that I do?"

Archie felt his eyelids grow heavy as lust seeped into his entire body. She moved even closer and this time he didn't step back. He could feel the warmth from her body, so familiar, so tempting. She tilted her head back to look up at him.

Jughead stalked through the halls, hands in jacket pockets, headphones on, face down but narrowed eyes forward. However, something popped into his peripheral vision as he passed by the music room that made him stop all forward momentum.

Archie?

He backed up without turning and pressed himself against the closed door before peering one eye through the window. What was he doing? Did he think that watching Archie make out with Betty would help him move on faster? Logic told him it would be more like twisting a salt covered knife inside an open wound but, masochist that he clearly was, he couldn't seem to stop himself.

Much as he'd expected, he peered through to window to find Archie and...Ms. Grundy? What the hell was happening? What was Archie doing in there with someone who wasn't Betty? Jug tucked his head and ducked away before somebody noticed him staring into an "empty" classroom. He'd have to get to the bottom of the matter later but for now, he didn't want to bring anyone else's attention to his blood brother canoodling with a teacher.

Ten minutes later, he was in the Blue and Gold getting ready for his staff meeting when Betty stumbled through the doorway...in her cheerleading uniform. A whole new level of hell had apparently just opened up for him.

"Sorry," she said, "I had a fitting-"

"It's fine," Jughead interrupted her, "Let's get started. First off, everybody, this is Betty. Our newest journalist."

Betty looked around the room at the three other people in various states of repose. There was a smiling girl with Shirley Temple curls, a red ribbon and a baby round face, another girl with cafe au latte skin wearing a leather jacket that matched Jughead's and long pink hair and...Kevin! A friendly face! Betty immediately crossed to stand by his side.

Jughead was leaned over the table reading from pages scattered across the battered surface. He had looked at her briefly when she had first entered but not again. Not once. She wanted to see his eyes. She wanted to see them so much it hurt. Physically hurt.

"Betty, you know Kevin. He's our gossip columnist. I don't know how he knows the school's secrets and I don't wanna know but readers eat it up. This is Ethel Muggs. She does our community awareness pieces. Puff and fluff at its finest. No offense Ethel."

"None taken!" The baby faced girl said, staring at Jug with blatant and obvious adoration.

"And Toni Topaz, photographer extraordinaire and sports detail." Jughead finished up.

"Hi," Betty said with a meek, one handed wave.

"All right," Jughead continued as through she hadn't spoken, "Let's keep it short and sweet. Jason Blossom's body was discovered in Sweetwater River after Open House. I will be covering this one, obviously."

"Oh, obviously." Toni said.

Jughead gave her a smirking sideways glance and Toni crossed her eyes at him. Betty didn't like that. So both of the girls on the paper had a thing for Jughead. Well, all three of them if you counted herself. But she didn't. She wouldn't. She couldn't. She shook it off. Focus on the dead body. Grim, but better than the complication of Jughead Jones.

"Speaking of, how ya doing, Kev?" Jughead asked.

"Honestly," Kevin said, "it was more traumatizing explaining to my father what I was doing there with...who I was with. Yet another perk of being the Sherrif's son."

"I'll bet. Moving on. TT, pep rally and opening game," Jughead looked up at Pinky with another perfect half smile and Betty started to really dislike this girl, "Try to take pictures of more than just Cheryl this time."

Toni smiled back, "No promises. The camera loves her."

"Uh-huh," Jughead looked back to his papers, "Kev, do what you do. I bask in your abilities."

"I know." Kevin replied.

"Ethel, I'm gonna let you take the Pickin's Day article this year." The statement earned a chuckle from the others in the room. Some inside joke? Jughead continued, "I don't really feel like getting suspended again. Just say basically the opposite of anything that I would say and you'll be fine."

"Got it," Ethel chuckled.

The word 'suspended' chimed through Betty's mind. He had gotten suspended for a newspaper article? Who gets suspended for a newspaper article?

"And Betty," he finally said and Betty's heart hurt a little. She liked it when he called her 'Coop.' It had only happened the once but it had felt...like theirs. Like in that moment they had become a them. Now it was Betty. Individual. Alone. "You're new so we'll start you off easy. You get to cover the back to school semi-formal Friday night, lucky you."

A puff piece! He was giving her a puff piece! He had seen her articles; she didn't do puff pieces! Her knuckles turned white as she clenched her pencil tight to keep from throwing it at his gorgeous, beanie covered head.

"A da... A dance?" She asked through clenched teeth.

He didn't look up when he said, "It's a big event."

"Don't we go to print on Thursday night?"

"It'll give you a chance to settle in around here."

So not only was it a puff piece, but by the time it printed it would be week old news! Unacceptable.

"I'm sorry," she couldn't let this go, "are you worried about me meeting my deadlines?"

Finally, those green eyes darted up to lock onto hers. She had expected them to be cold and distant, but they weren't. Dear God, they weren't. They were hot and electric. She knew hers were the same. So much so that she could feel the sparks flying between from across the room. The other people in the room followed the exchange like they were at a tennis match, heads bouncing from one to the other in fixed fascination.

"I don't know you, Betty." Jughead said.

"You've seen my work."

"The finished product, yes. I don't know your process."

"My process?" She seethed, "What the hell does that mean?"

"It just means I need to see how you work to determine what kind of articles I can trust you with."

Betty drew in a breath to say something else when she felt the slightest nudge from Kevin and saw him give an oh-so-subtle shake of his head. She choked back her words, forced a smile and gave a single, jerking nod of her head. In her mind, she called pretty, green eyed Jughead Jones all kinds of idiot.

Author's Note : Well, that's it for now! Please, please, please, leave a review. Let me know what you think. I do this kind of thing for me, because the story is in me and needs an outlet, but the feedback is helpful and encouraging in so many ways.


	6. Chapter 6

Author's Note : Hello! So, thank you, thank you, thank you so much to everybody who reviewed. It really does mean the world to me! Here's the next chapter. Please keep reading, keep reviewing, let me know what you think!

Chapter Six Song : "Control" by Halsey

Disclaimer : Don't own the characters. Just really like them.

CHAPTER SIX :

"Hey, Ponytail!" A feminine voice called as Betty slammed from the Blue and Gold office. She spun around as the pink haired Toni emerged from the room and caught up to her, "Don't take it personal. Jonesy is just protective of the Blue and Gold."

"Yeah, well," Betty retorted, "it feels personal. I don't do light and fluffy cupcake pieces like a dance. He knows that."

"Think of it as hazing the new girl," Toni said.

"Hazing is illegal."

"A rite of passage, then! Whatever. Just show him you can handle it - and him."

"Oh, I'll handle him." Betty said, her mind going to all sorts of dark places in that instant. Then it dawned on her exactly how her words could be misconstrued, or correctly construed, and her gaze whipped to Toni, who was smirking with way to much insight, "I meant it! I'll handle it."

"Uh-huh," Toni said with a chuckle, "Later, Ponytail."

So, Jughead thought she needed to prove herself. That was how he wanted to play it. Fine. She could do that. She could prove herself, pay her damn dues, and then take his damn job!

"Hey, Toni, wait up!" She called out and took off down the hall in the other girl's wake.

"A retrospective?" Veronica asked, two hours later, one perfect brow arched high on her forehead as she sat across from Betty in a booth at Pop's, "On a dance?"

"Absolutely!" Betty beamed, "Tell me what the Back to School Semi-Formal means to you; your past, your present, your future?"

Veronica took a sip from her chocolate milkshake, "You're getting a little deep on this, aren't you? Usually the dance coverage is popular dress colors and who went with who."

"I'll leave the fashion police to Kevin. He's better at it than me anyway. No, my angle has more edge than that, don't ya think?"

"Definitely!" Veronica giggled, "Okay, well, let's see. I guess it's a great way to connect with friends that you haven't seen since last school year. It's kind of a cherry to the end of summer..."

Betty started scribbling notes. Her piece would be Dickensian; _A Tale of Two Cities: The Riverdale Edition._ Yes, school dances were all bright sparkle and dazzle dust for some students, I.e. The jocks and the cheerleaders which would be the point of view provided to her from interviews like V. But on the other side of the fence, the worst of times if you will, there were the scenarios like the one that Toni had told her about.

Toni was bussed in from the Southside of Riverdale, the proverbial 'wrong side of the tracks.' She had talked to Betty about the very real anxiety that the kind of social event like the dance could cause someone from her side of town. If she went and was found lacking, she wore the wrong shoes, a shabby dress, a bad hairdo, she ran the risk of being bullied, shamed and shunned. If she didn't go at all, would she be ostracized before the school year even really started? Toni had escaped the pratfalls because she was hot and dating the head cheerleader, Hell-on-Wheels-Cheryl Blossom. To each their own on that one but there had been other girls who hadn't been so lucky according to Toni.

The dance was a place to connect and a time for fun, but it was also darker than that. It was a way for the privileged to feel even more superior and the disadvantaged to feel even more alienated.

That would be her angle. Let Jughead Jones try to assign her a puff piece again!

Jughead sat on the top step of the Andrews' front porch. Waiting. He had been there for close to an hour and a half. He was a patient guy and what he had come here for was too important to let boredom or the chill of the night air drive him away. Every muscle in his abdomen clenched when he finally spotted his best friend coming down the sidewalk.

Archie's clipped pace slowed when he spotted Jughead. He got the familiar, somewhat confused look on his face. It was pretty late after all. "Hey Jug," he said, "what's up?"

Jug climbed to his feet and started down the steps to meet his friend, "What's up is I saw you...in the music room...with Grundy."

Archie began speaking at once, "Keep your voice down, my dad's inside!"

"I'm trying to help you, dude," Jughead scowled through the speech, "I'm trying to be your friend, here. How long? You and Grundy?"

"Since this summer." Archie said without meeting his friend's eyes.

Jughead propped his hands on his hips and let his head fall back, looking up at the night sky, "Man."

"There's more." Archie went on.

"There always is." Jug replied, once again looking into his friend's face.

"We were at Sweetwater River on July fourth."

Jughead just stared. He didn't know what to say to that. He didn't have to say anything, as it were. Archie continued talking.

"We heard a gunshot. _The_ gunshot."

"Dude," Jughead interjected, "You have to tell somebody."

"I can't," Archie blurted, stepping closer, pleading with his eyes and voice, wanted Jughead to understand, "And neither can you. If people find out about-"

"A kid is dead, Archie!" Jug exclaimed, "Is she telling you not say anything?"

"She could go to jail."

"She's messing with you, man!"

"No." Archie said, his voice solid, "I'm done with her. It's over. I would never do that to Betty."

Betty. The name slammed into Jug with all the subtlety of a sledgehammer. He looked away from Archie and clamped his jaws together so tight he was almost surprised when he didn't crack a molar. Blue blue eyes. Blonde blonde hair. Bright bright smile. Smart. Fierce. Determined. The way a woman was supposed to look, to speak, to think, to be. He couldn't blame Archie. Sucking in a deep, unsatisfying breath, he turned to face his friend once more.

"I have Betty now."Archie said on a whisper, "I don't want Grundy. But I don't want her to get into trouble either. I want it to be over. Can you understand that, Jug?"

God, Jughead wanted to shake him. There was so much wrong with this situation, he didn't even know where to start. He could see that his friend was foundering, but would he drag an innocent girl down with him? What a mess. A murdered kid, an illicit, illegal affair and his best friend since childhood stuck in the thick of it with no clue how to get himself out. The desperation in Archie's eyes wasn't ineffective though. And Jug believed him; as long as Archie had Betty in his life, he'd stay away from that...that cougar.

The realization made Betty even more out of bounds. It wasn't easy for Jughead to stomach but he would. He had to. Jughead started to walk away, but his friend caught him by the elbow.

"Jug!" Archie pled.

Jughead patted his friend's hand once before removing it from his arm. "Don't worry, Arch, I hear you. I don't like it but I hear you. There has to be a way to do the right thing but I don't see it yet. To be discussed."

"Yeah," Archie agreed readily, "Yeah, thanks, Jug."

This time when Jughead went to walk away, Archie let him go.

Relaxing in a booth at Pop's, waiting for Veronica to get out of the bathroom, Betty eyed the basket of onion rings sitting in the center of the table. She plucked one up and nibbled delicately at it. Then, taking a covert scan of the restaurant to make sure no one was looking in her direction, she shoved the entire thing in her mouth. Sweet and crisp and just the right amount of greasy. So good. The door swung open with a chime and Betty glanced up to see Jughead Jones, complete with beanie and leather jacket saunter into the diner and up to the counter. He didn't see her and she slumped down just slightly in the booth as to observe him for a second...just one second. Also, it was hard to chew the onion ring in its entirety and she really didn't want him to see her with her cheeks puffed out like a squirrel hoarding nuts.

Pop Tate greeted Jughead directly, "Hey, Nighthawk. You want the usual?"

"Yeah," Jug said, "My dad's too and wrap it up for me?"

"You got it. Fifteen minutes, Kay."

Jughead nodded, drummed his fingers on the counter and glanced around the diner, not looking for anyone in particular but in that way of general interest for the bored. When his eyes hit Betty, his hands stilled at once. Betty froze as well, mid chew. If she chewed really, really slowly, would it be less obvious that she had crammed her mouth to its full capacity? She could also feel the grease from the lovely fried snack coating her lips to the point where a single bead dribbled onto her chin. Excellent.

Jughead pushed away from the counter and crossed over to her. She scrambled to cover her mouth with a napkin and then proceeded to chew as quickly as possible. His eyes were alight with amusement as he leaned an elbow oh-so-casual against the back of the booth seat opposite her.

"Betty," he said as though knowing she was unable to respond because her mouth was stuffed full of half-chewed batter and onion.

She nodded her greeting. He looked around the diner, "You here alone?"

Betty shook her head and managed to swallow her mouthful. Loudly. Jughead grinned. Asshole.

"No," she choked a little and gave her mouth a dainty dab with the napkin as though that would cancel out the ridiculously loud _gulp_, "no, Veronica is here. I was making some notes for my article."

Jughead quirked an eyebrow at that. "Making notes for your article? You're making notes for an article about a dance that doesn't happen until Friday?"

Betty beamed, "I like to be prepared."

"Uh-huh," Jughead replied, "So, on a scale of 1 to 10, how pissed off at me are you about that assignment?"

Betty didn't hedge. "Oh, we surpassed the scale miles ago."

He laughed. It was a lovely sound. "I figured as much." Then Betty watched his eyes soften just the slightest bit. "Anyway, I'm sure you and Archie will have fun."

"What?" Betty was taken aback by the abrupt change.

Jughead stared at her, "At the dance. You and Archie."

"Oh," Betty said and looked down at her hands, where she started shredding her napkin. She couldn't meet his eyes at the moment, "Right. I'm sure."

There was a long pause that hung heavily in the air between them. It was filled with the things that neither of them could quite bring themselves to say. Then Jughead cleared his throat slightly and Betty brought her eyes back up to meet his.

"Listen..." He started.

"Hi, Jughead!" Veronica interrupted as though appearing by magic behind him, causing Jughead to shake off whatever it was that he had been about to say.

"Hey, V." He said instead and stepped aside so she could slide back into her seat.

Betty fought down a surge of irrational anger at her friend. It wouldn't be fair to be angry at Veronica who had no cause to suspect that she was interrupting anything.

Veronica offered Jughead a pretty smile, "You wanna join us? We have burgers coming."

"Nah," Jughead said, "I'm just waiting on a takeout order for me and my dad. You guys enjoy your dinner."

With those parting words, he looked at Betty one more time and then turned away to wait for his food at the counter. Betty watched him for one more heartbeat before dragging her gaze away.

"So, where were we?" Veronica asked, pulling an onion ring into small bite sized pieces. She was clearly smarter at eating than Betty.

Betty lifted her pen and poised it over her notebook, "Southside vs the Northside treatment at the school dances."

"Right," Veronica nodded, "It really is kind of skewed."

Author's Note : Well, that's it for now! I hope you enjoyed the chapter! Be sure to let me know what you think! I'll say again, any feedback is so appreciated.


	7. Chapter 7

Author's Note : Greetings to all! Here is the next installment of my story. I hope you enjoy it. I am having so much fun writing this story and I really hope you are enjoying reading it. As always, please let me know. Feedback of any kind is welcome and appreciated more than I could ever express in words. Anyway, enough of my jabber. On to the story!

Chapter Seven Song : "The Chain" by Fleetwood Mac

Disclaimer : Don't own the characters. Just really like them.

CHAPTER SEVEN :

It was Thursday at lunch when Jughead discovered Betty's article mixed in with the stack of copies from the other writers. A full, ready to print copy. Not a little bit confused, he fell back in his chair and started to read, thinking back to the day before at the staff meeting. He had gotten his updates from Kev, Ethel and Toni and then he turned his attention to Betty.

"Betty," he'd said and her blue eyes had flashed up, almost guilty, "anything to report?"

She'd pressed her lips together in a thin line and shaken her head, "Nope."

He'd felt his eyes narrow, "What about all those notes you were working on?"

"Oh! Those?" She had said with a nonchalant wave of her hand, "That was just Veronica giving me a rundown on who's who, power couples, fashionistas of Riverdale...you know, that kind of interesting... society...stuff."

He'd felt suspicious even as she'd spoken. He should have known to go with his gut. Sitting in the Blue and Gold office, he scanned over the article she'd prepared on the caste system of Riverdale and how the Back to School Dance served to not only remind students of their designated social standing but as a platform to make sure they stayed there. Part of him was pissed that she'd ignored the assignment, although she really hadn't. He hadn't specified an angle with which she was to write about the dance. The other part of him was in awe of her perspective, her insight, her intuition. And then a third part of him wished like hell he'd had her around for the whole Pickens fiasco. He felt certain she would have had his back.

Betty was working on an English Lit assignment on a sofa in the student lounge when a messenger bag landed by her feet with a loud thunk and startled her to the point that she gasped with a small squeak escaping from her throat. She was still catching her breath when Jughead dropped onto the cushion by her side. He rested one arm along the backside of the couch and the other on the side arm.

"And so the dance signals that another year begins the cycle of validation and alienation anew." He quoted her article, without looking at her.

Betty just stared at his profile and waited him out.

A flash of green darted toward her in a sideways glance, "An interesting approach."

"It's true. I have several sources."

"So I read."

Betty chewed on her bottom lip, "Soooo...scale of 1 to 10; how pissed are you?"

"Oh, we bypassed the scale a few miles ago." He wasn't too proud to throw her own words back at her.

"It's a good article, Jughead."

"No," Jughead countered, "It's a great article."

Betty could feel the blood rushing to her cheeks and tried not to make it too obvious how much his praise meant to her. "So, does that mean..."

"Yes," he said, "it's going to print."

She clapped her hands together and smiled from ear to ear at him. He held up a hand to calm her.

"You probably shouldn't thank me. It'll go out tomorrow. The morning before the very dance that you are ripping to shreds."

"It's the truth." Betty said simply.

"You are one of a kind, aren't you?" He said with a shake of his head before finally turning his face fully toward her.

Betty felt her smile fade when their eyes met. There was something about his eyes. She just wanted to stare into them, lose herself in them, like they were a safe haven. His chest started move just the slightest bit faster as he looked back at her, as though perhaps his breathing had become labored. She swallowed hard and blinked three times rapidly trying to find her voice.

"Jug..." She rasped.

"Anyway," he cut her off, "I gotta jet. Talk to you later, Betty."

With that, he hopped to his feet, scooped up his bag and was out the door before Betty could utter another word.

Or ask him to stay.

Just a little longer.

She shoved her notebook to the side and let her head fall back against the cushions, closing her eyes and covering her face with her hands. When had life become so...complicated?

It seemed like Betty blinked and it was Friday night, time for the dance. As Jughead had predicted, her article had caused what could be considered an uproar. Betty had received one or two dirty looks from a few of her fellow River Vixens but she hadn't let it bother her. She hadn't written anything that wasn't true. All the animosity and anger, however, had seemed to dull as the day progressed and the excitement for the very subject of the article pushed the article itself out of everyone's mind. There was hair to be done and makeup to be applied and jewelry to be shown off. It was time for the dance.

Veronica walked beside Betty with a garment bag slung over her shoulder, sipping at a double chocolate milkshake from Pop's as they made their way to Betty's house to get ready together for the night's event.

"I thought people would care more," Betty said.

"They cared plenty," Veronica replied, chewing a little on her straw.

Betty shrugged, "Okay. I thought they would care for a longer period of time."

Veronica chuckled, "B, we are talking about teenagers. They basically have the attention span of a bunch of gnats. If it isn't in the glossy pages Seventeen magazine or blaring out from ESPN, it goes in one ear, hangs out for approximately 2.6 seconds and then right out the other."

Betty sighed and tried not to be too disheartened. She wasn't really one for apathy and that was exactly the mentality that she was picking up from the general student body of Riverdale high. She shouldn't be surprised. Her old school really hadn't been that different. She kicked at a pebble and then made the turn at the corner to head down her street.

"Now," Veronica said, her voice high and cheery, "with the risk of sounding like one the mindless, gnat drones we were just discussing...tell me about your dress! Is it amazing? Is Archie's tongue gonna roll out of his head?"

"I don't know about that," Betty said, feeling the blush rise in her cheeks.

It hadn't been Archie in her mind when she had tried on the delicate pink strapless down.

"I hope he likes it." She said, knowing Veronica would interpret her words to mean that she hoped Archie would like the dress; knowing her friend would interpret her words wrong.

The two girls continued chattering about their dresses and shoes as the climbed the front steps and entered the house...where Alan greeted them from the living room.

"Well, hello ladies," he said, setting aside his newspaper and getting to his feet

"Hi, Alan," Betty said and made a beeline for the stairs.

Veronica tilted her milkshake at him in a gesture of greeting, "Hi, Mr. Daniel."

"Veronica," he said, his voice soft, his reptilian eyes narrowing in on the small brunette, "I've asked you several times now to call me Alan."

Betty could actually see Veronica suppress her shudder, "Sorry, my mom would freak out if she ever heard me refer to an adult by their first name. I was raised to, you know, respect my elders."

The inflection on the final word was subtle, but Betty saw that it hit its mark with her stepdad. His smile tightened the slightest bit and the veins in the side of his neck strained.

"C'mon V," Betty said, already up three stairs, "we gotta get ready."

Once they were in her bedroom with the door closed and locked, Veronica tossed her dress on the bed and spun around.

"No offense, B," she said, "but your stepdad gives me the creeps."

"I know." Betty agreed opening her closet door, "I'll never understand my mom."

Archie had come to a gut wrenching decision. He stood on the deck of the Jones family trailer in Sunnyside Trailer park and knocked two fast, hard beats. A moment later the door swung open and Jughead's father, FP greeted him with a quick grin.

"Heya, Red!" He said.

"Hey Mr. Jones. Is Jug here?"

"You just caught him." FP answered, ushering him through the door, "Hey boy! Archie's here."

Jughead appeared from the kitchen, shoving the remnants of a sandwich into his mouth. "Hey, man," he said around a mouthful of bread.

"Hey Jug," Archie said and cast a furtive glance from the side of his eye at FP, "can we talk?"

FP chuckled and slapped Archie on the shoulder, "Don't worry, Red. I'm headed to the Wyrm. Shout if you need me, Jug."

"Later, dad."

With that, FP left the boys to their discussion.

"Come on," Jughead said and led the way to the kitchen table for them to sit, "you hungry?"

"Nah," Archie said, sliding into the chair across from the one Jughead had sat down in. They sat in an awkward silence for a long moment before with a signature, half smirk, Jughead cleared his throat.

"As fascinating as this is, Arch, you know, the staring, there are-"

"I've decided to talk to Weatherby!" Archie blurted all at once.

Jughead took a second to take that in...and what it entailed. "Okay," he said slowly, "you're going to talk to Weatherby...about...everything."

Archie ran both hands hard over his face, "I don't know. I mean...there's no reason to tell him everything right? I can come clean about being at Sweetwater River...I can tell him about the gunshot. There's no reason to drag Geraldine-"

"Geraldine?"

"-into it at all, right?"

"Does Geraldine know you're going to do this?" Jug asked.

Archie shook his head.

"Do you plan on giving her a heads up?"

"I don't know. Maybe. Probably." Archie said, staring at his hands on the table, like he was afraid to meet Jughead's eyes. "I mean, she deserves at least that much, right?"

"I don't know what she deserves." Jughead said, his voice going somewhat cold, "We've never been close."

"This isn't easy for me, Jug."

Jughead softened, "I know that. Look, warn her if you feel like you should but don't let her talk you out of it."

"Not a chance," Archie said, finally meeting Jughead's gaze, "I can't keep living with the guilt that I might have known something about Jason and not told anyone. Plus...I want a clean slate...you know...with Betty. Even if coming clean about what I heard is only half the story, it's still more than I have right now."

"Right." It was Jughead's turn to look away.

Archie smiled, "She's so perfect, Jug. I really want you two to get along. I know she's not the type of girl you would normally hang out with...I mean, she's a cheerleader and all, but she's..."

"Archie," Jughead interrupted, "you don't have to sell me on Betty. I...like her fine."

More than fine. More than a lot.

"Good." Archie released a breath on a grin, "That's good."

Jughead felt as though his throat were caving in on itself; he couldn't breathe right, like his lungs couldn't expand enough to take in sufficient air. Luckily, Archie seemed ready to end his visit.

"Well," his redheaded friend said, rising to his feet, "I gotta go get ready for the dance. Me and Reg are picking the girls up at Betty's in a little over an hour. See ya, Jug!"

Jughead jerked his chin once in acknowledgment and then Archie was gone.

Author's Note : So, there's that. Thoughts? Comments? Complaints? Who's ready to see more Bughead interaction? How do you feel about Jug and Archie's friendship? Let me know what you think! Until the next...


	8. Chapter 8

Author's Note : Aaaaaannnnnnnddddd...Chapter Eight. Thank you to anyone who reviewed. I appreciate you more than I can say. Please continue to do so. I am always excited when I get that notification. On to the story!

Chapter Eight Song : "First" by Cold War Kids

Disclaimer : Don't own the characters. Just really like them.

CHAPTER EIGHT :

When Archie laid eyes on Betty in her pale pink dress, his chest swelled up with what could only be satisfaction and pride. She was stunning...and she was his. He picked her up at the door, escorted her to Reggie's car and helped her in like the gentleman his father had raised him to be. He couldn't wait to make their entrance in front of everybody at the dance.

Betty on the other hand was a bundle of nerves. She felt jittery and anxious and excited. Her skin felt too tight and her face felt flushed. She was warm all over and couldn't seem to steady her breathing. Every second she had spent getting dressed, despite Veronica's running conversation, Betty had thought about _him_. Maybe she could spend a little time with him outside of the newsroom; talk to him about something other than an article or schoolwork.

Maybe he would dance with her.

He didn't seem like the dancing type.

But maybe he would.

With her.

When they pulled in the school parking lot and Archie held out his hand to help her out of the car, Betty was flooded by a wave of guilt. This wasn't right, this thing she was doing with Archie. She was leading him on. She wasn't even sure how she had ended up in this situation. She couldn't break up with him just to turn around and admit that she was into his best friend. Archie was so sweet and kind and good. It wouldn't be right to just dump him. She could see them being the truest of friends. But could she keep dating him when she was having...vibes for another guy?

She wouldn't think about it tonight. She wouldn't dwell on the complications. She felt pretty. She was at a new school with her new friends and she felt pretty. Somewhere in that gym was a beautiful boy with dark hair and green eyes and a devil's smile and she felt pretty. Those were things that she would enjoy tonight.

The foursome walked into the brightly lit and colorfully decorated gymnasium. The local band that everyone was ga-ga over, Josie and the Pussycats, was playing onstage. The dance floor was packed with kids in various stages of frivolity, dancing and twisting and jumping and laughing. It was a sight to behold. Veronica immediately dragged Reggie out to join them.

There were the obligatory wallflowers of course, lingering in groups near the bleachers, hovering in somewhat awkward conversation around the punchbowl, but for the most part the mood in the room was that of genuine enjoyment. It made Betty think perhaps she had been a little harsh in her article.

Archie peered over her shoulder at someone and excused himself. Betty watched him make his way over to Ms. Grundy, the school music teacher.

Whatever.

She scanned the room, her eyes searching for a familiar gray beanie.

"He's not here," came a voice from directly behind her. Betty spun around to come face to face with Toni.

"What?" She asked, trying to appear innocent.

"Jonesy," Toni countered, "you're gonna give yourself whiplash looking for him and he's not here."

"I wasn't..."

"Don't worry. I'm not judging."

Betty pressed her lips together and then decided on the truth, "I thought everyone came to the back to school dance."

"Does Jones strike you as everyone?" Toni asked with a quirked eyebrow.

Betty smiled at that, "Now that you mention it."

"Anyway, I just wanted to warn you before your boyfriend caught on that you were scanning the crowd for someone that wasn't him."

There was that twist of guilt again. "I think I'll just get some punch."

Once Betty learned that Jughead wasn't at the dance, nor was he going to be, the night seemed to drag on for an eternity. Archie returned to her side, vowing to be the perfect date from that moment on. During their second slow dance of the evening, he had pulled her a little tighter into his embrace and stared into her eyes.

"You know, it's funny." He said, his voice soft and sincere, "This year, I made the varsity football team and you're the cute, new girl cheerleader. It's like we're a perfect match. Riverdale's newest power couple."

"Power couple?" Betty said, the words thick and heavy on her tongue.

"Well, yeah. Don't you think?"

It was like his heart and soul were shining out at her from his caramel eyes and even though she knew she should take this moment to make things right, to tell him the truth, to end it, end this...she couldn't bring herself to do it.

Instead, she looked down at their shuffling feet and said, "I guess so."

He led her through dance after dance after dance, so happy and content to be out there with her that it just made her feel worse and worse.

Three hours later, Archie walked Betty to her front door and, while Reggie and Veronica waited in the car. Once on the porch, he pressed a sweet, lingering kiss to her lips. His eyes stayed closed as he pulled away and there was a gentle smile on his mouth, like he was still savoring the feel of her kiss. Betty had willed herself to fall into the kiss, to let it wrap around her and sweep her away. Unfortunately, while the kiss had certainly been pleasurable, she remained unswept.

Archie reached a hand up and touched the tips of his fingers to her cheek, "Goodnight, Betty. I'll see you tomorrow?"

Betty couldn't speak around the lump in her throat, so she forced and smile and nodded. She stood on her porch, holding the pale pink shawl that matched her dress to perfection around her shoulders and watched Reggie's car pull away and off down the street. Once her friends were out of sight, she looked over her shoulder at the red front door to her house. She wasn't ready to go inside and face her mother's inquiries or Alan's inevitable leering. So, she pulled her shawl a little tighter around herself and walked down the front porch steps.

She didn't have a destination in mind as she meandered along the rambling sidewalks that seemed to wind and twist throughout the entire town like veins. That was one of the beautiful things about Riverdale that Betty had discovered a love for; you could walk anywhere. It wasn't a half an hour before she found herself in the parking lot of Pop's.

It was there that she came to a complete and abrupt halt in her wandering.

Jughead.

He was sitting by himself in a booth working on his laptop.

She didn't hesitate a second longer.

Jughead's fingers flew across the keys as though of independent thought. The words were just pouring out of him. Jason Blossom's autopsy was scheduled for the morning and he couldn't help but wonder how long it would be before the results were made public. He'd love to get his hands on the results. What secrets had been absorbed in his former schoolmate's body along with the water and decay?

The sound of the bell over the doorway of the diner broke into his reverie and he glanced up for less than a second before his eyes went back to his laptop screen. Then, his fingers stilled. And his eyes returned to the door. Logically, he knew that if his heart had actually stopped, he would have been dead on the ground, but in all honesty, he would have sworn that for just a second it had done just that.

Betty looked back at him, a vision in pink silk, her hair a golden wave around her shoulders. Archie may have been right after all.

She was perfect.

She stepped over to the counter and said something to the attendant there before crossing the distance to where Jughead sat. They stared at each other for a silent heartbeat, him sitting, her standing, blue eyes locked together with green.

"Hi, Jughead," she said, her voice soft and just this side of breathy.

"Betty."

"So, I have something that I have been wanting to ask you and it's been eating away at me a little." She said.

Jughead had to remind himself to breathe, to actively not hold his breath, "What's that?"

"What did you write about Pickens that got you suspended?"

That was not what he had been expecting. She smiled and he laughed and just like that, the tension dissolved away into nothingness as though it had never been there.

"Well," Jughead said on an exhale, "that he was a mass murdering psychopath for hire."

Betty slid into the seat across from him, "That'll do it."

"It certainly did." Jug nodded, "Facts are facts and my sense of social injustice kicked in and the next thing I knew, I was suspended. Worth it."

"I'd like to read it."

"Don't know if an intact copy survived to be totally honest. They couldn't burn me at the stake, so they burned my paper instead."

"How very third reich of them."

They fell into another silence, more comfortable, just enjoying one another's presence. Then, Betty looked down at her hands on the table. Her nails were painted pink like her dress. He never would have imagined liking the color so much but on her...

"You didn't come to the dance." She said.

"No."

"I looked for you."

His throat felt tight again, "Not really my scene."

"So I hear."

She seemed...disappointed. And that kind of thinking was all kinds of dangerous. "Betty..."

"Don't," she said simply, "I know. Whatever it is you're about to say, I already know."

The night waiter appeared and sat a fizzy soft drink and a plate of French fries down in front of Betty then left them. Betty took a long sip through her straw, then blessed him with another radiant smile. She slid the plate of fries to the center of the table to within his reach.

"So," she beamed, "what are you working on?"

It took Jughead just a moment to adjust to the sudden change in attitude. The tense, unbearable physical awareness melting into a level of friendly comfort snapping back to tension and now shifting again to the comfortable plateau.

Oh, what the hell?

He snagged a fry and spun his laptop around so she could see his article, "My article on the Blossom murder."

He grabbed the red ketchup bottle to squeeze a generous puddle on the plate as Betty started scrolling through his words, taking note of everything he had written. She asked questions. He answered them. He threw out theories. She countered them. She made suggestions. He listened to them. They both nibbled at the fries and just enjoyed this moment, however brief, of uncomplicated camaraderie.

Neither of them could have known that in just over forty-eight hours, everything they thought they knew about Jason Blossom and his murder would be turned on its head.

Author's Note: Well...that's it for now. I feel like I ended this chapter on a nice little Bughead moment. Hopefully you think so too! Let me know. Also, I'm curious as to what you think the biggest obstacle for our dynamic will be forthcoming? Lemme know your thoughts! Byeeee!


	9. Chapter 9

Author's Note : Okay! Here is the new chapter. I like this one. I'm really excited to share it and I am very anxious to hear from you! Please let me know what you think. I won't ramble on. Here's the chapter.

Chapter Nine Song : "Walk Me Home" by P!nk

Disclaimer : Don't own the characters. Just really like them.

CHAPTER NINE :

It was late when Jughead and Betty finally left the diner. Late enough that Jug decided he'd walk Betty home. He didn't think she'd do well on the motorbike, at least not in her fluffy pink gown. And so they trekked the fifteen or so minutes in comfortable companionship. They weren't silent the whole way but nor did they feel the need to keep up a constant running dialogue. They just...were...together.

When they arrived at her house, Jughead refrained from walking her all the way to the door and instead remained at the bottom of the steps that lead up from the street. Escorting her to the door would have felt too much like the end of the date, he would have been too tempted to kiss her. It was a temptation that haunted him every time she smiled, everytime she spoke, everytime all through their time at the diner she had reached up to wipe a salt from those soft looking lips. No. Better to put some much needed distance between them. But he did watch her until she disappeared, gracing him with one more heart-stopping smile on her sweet looking mouth, behind the solid red front door. He stood there for another minute, trying to rid himself of the feeling of inevitability that was creeping up his spine.

He turned on the solid heel of his boot and headed back to Pop's to pick up his bike. For the ten minute drive back to his trailer, he could focus on the speed, the road, the wind and the image of Betty's smiling eyes staring at him over the rim of her soda as she sipped from her straw.

Archie's girl, he told himself over and over and over.

When he pulled to a stop in his driveway, he spotted Sweet Pea and Fangs sitting on the steps of his deck...waiting for him.

"Fellas," Jug said pulling his helmet off and looking at his friends with suspicion, "it's kinda late, isn't it?"

"Yeah," Sweet Pea said as both of the young serpent soldiers rose to their feet to meet him at the base of the stairs, "but we knew you'd wanna know about this right away."

Brows furrowed, Jughead looked back and forth between the two, "Kay..."

Sweet Pea looked to Fangs, "Show him."

Almost reluctant, Fangs reached behind him and pulled out three striped, cylindrical wrappers. Jughead felt a surge of adrenaline rush through his entire body as though the sight of the too familiar wrappers caused his blood to boil. "Jingle Jangle! Where did those come from?"

Fangs shifted uncomfortable on his feet, "I found them in a girl I know's car."

"Whose?"

"I'm not gonna tell you that, Jones." Fangs said, "I'm sorry."

"But-"

Sweet Pea cut Jughead off, "Let it go, Jones. He won't budge. He won't even tell me."

Jughead cut a look at Fangs and recognized the stubborn set of his jaw. He took a deep breath in attempt to calm himself and rubbed a hand hard over his face, "Okay...God, I thought we were done with this crap when Southside High shut down."

"That's not the worst part," Sweet Pea went on.

Jughead peeked out from between his fingers, dread gnawing at his gut, "What?"

Sweet Pea hesitated, "This girl, whoever she was, didn't get the JJ from a Ghoulie."

That got Jug's attention. His eyes narrowed and his face tilted down in that menacing way he had about him. Both Sweet Pea and Fangs took a instinctual step back as Jughead asked, "Meaning?"

Sweet Pea nudged Fangs who said, "She told me she got it from a serpent."

"The hell she did!" Jug spat taking two steps forward.

Sweet Pea stepped in front of him and put a hand to his chest as though worried he was going to attack Fangs, "Jonesy! Calm down, man!"

Jughead jerked away from Sweet Pea and paced back and forth a few times, trying to get control of himself. After a moment, he stopped and looked back at his boys, "Okay. Let me think. Have you talked to my dad about this?"

"No!" Sweet Pea said.

"Of course not!" Fangs exclaimed at the same time.

Sweet Pea took a step toward Jug, "You know we always bring this kind of thing to you first."

"Yeah," Jug said, pausing and propping his hands on his hips, "Yeah, I know."

It was true that FP was the Serpent King, but when it came to the younger members of the gang, their loyalty lay first and foremost with their prince. They were his soldiers. He'd proven time and again that he had their back and they reciprocated a hundred times over.

Jughead chewed on his bottom lip, calming himself down before bringing his eyes back to his two most trusted, "She said specifically it was a serpent who got the drugs for her?"

Fangs nodded, "Yeah. She said she couldn't understand why I was so pissed when I found them since it was one of my guys that she bought them from."

"You get a description?" Jug asked.

Fangs shrugged, "She said he was tallish with slicked back hair. I mean, Christ, Jonesy, that could any one of us."

"Yeah," Jug said, "It'd help if I could talk to this girl-"

"Not gonna happen!" Fangs interjected.

Jug was not happy about that. "Fine! I want my A squad on this. You two, Toni, we'll bring Cheryl in and Joaquin. I wanna know what serpent is dealing this toxic crap and I wanna know fast."

"You got it, boss man." Sweet Pea said and he and Fangs headed off into the night.

The weekend would be an exercise in frustration, yielding no real results and even fewer leads in which of his gang was dealing in Jingle Jangle. The one time he had tried to go into Pop's, his laptop in tow, intending to do some work while partaking in his favorite pastime of food, he'd set eyes on Archie and Betty snuggled up together in a booth, Archie's arm resting casually over her slim shoulders. If he'd stuck around, perhaps he would have noticed the tension in Betty's shoulders, but he didn't. He'd backed out of the diner and prayed no one had caught sight of him there. That was what was hanging over his head when Jughead made his way to school on Monday morning, weighing him down with so many other issues. A member of his troupe was dealing poison, his best friend was teetering on the brink of an illegal affair with a predator and he himself was completely infatuated with said friend's girlfriend, who in turn seemed to reciprocate and was the only thing keeping that friend from passing that brink. It was a convoluted and tangled web and he was stuck in the damn middle.

And of course, as though conjured from the twisted, masochistic inner-workings of his brain, when he walked through the doors of Riverdale High, he was immediately greeted by the sight of Archie wrapping Betty into a hug. If there was a God up there, he definitely had a grudge against Forsyth Pendleton Jones the Third.

At the beginning of second period, Jughead had watched as Cheryl had been escorted from the classroom by Sheriff Keller and Principal Weatherby. By lunchtime, it was all over that Jason's autopsy had revealed that he had been killed not on July fourth as originally thought...but nearly a week later on the weekend of the 11th. Cheryl had confessed to a plan she and Jason had come up with in which they would fake his death, allowing him to run away for reasons she claimed not to know. Archie went into full confession mode as he and Jughead sat by themselves at a table outside of the cafeteria.

"So, I heard Cheryl told Keller that Jason was alive when she left him. That they were together when they heard the gunshot. I told Weatherby and Keller when I heard the shot and apparently it backed up what they had heard from Cheryl."

"What'd you tell them you were doing?" Jughead asked.

"Writing songs." Archie said, not meeting his friend's eyes.

Jughead touched Archie's forearm in a brief touch of support, "You did the right thing, man."

"I know," Archie said, "it just..."

Whatever he'd been going to say was lost when Betty and Veronica joined them at the table.

"Are you okay?" Betty asked Archie, her eyes filled with concern and compassion and Jughead wanted to hit something.

"Yeah," Veronica added, "we heard about what you told Weatherby and the Sheriff. How awful. I can't even imagine."

Archie reached over and took hold of Betty's hand. She looked down at their joined hands and then up at Jughead. His eyes too were locked on their hands. Then his jaw clenched and he looked down at his food, stabbing at it with a fork. Archie had been through so much this summer. He needed someone to be there for him right now. Betty knew that he wanted her to be that person. He seemed so on edge. If she told him the truth, that she was developing feelings for someone...no...not someone...his best friend...if she told him that, would it push him over that edge? She couldn't let herself be responsible for something like that.

So, she'd be that person for him. She'd stand by him and support him. Eventually, things would get better. Either she'd move on from this attraction to Jughead...or, more ideally, Archie would decide they'd be better as friends and she could pursue something deeper with Jughead.

Yeah, right.

It was twenty minutes after three that she walked into the Blue and Gold office. No one had arrived yet, but there was a dry erase board propped against the wall with Jughead's uneven scrawl covering the surface.

Assignments.

She took a second to scan over them. Kevin's assignment made her laugh aloud. All that was written beside his name was 'Keep being glorious.' She frowned when she got to her own name though.

'_Betty : First Annual Taste of Riverdale_'

What the ever-loving hell?

Did he learn nothing from his attempt to assign her a damned dance? Was this her punishment? What would it take to convince him that she didn't do community interest pieces? Maybe if she staged a bomb threat and then covered the damn thing.

She zeroed in on a bright red file folder sitting by the computer and wondered over. When she flipped open the cover, she found Jughead's notes on the Jason Blossom murder. Her mind flashed back to the article he had been working on at Pop's when they had spent those too few precious hours together. As she began skimming over the folder, new questions started formulating in her brain. Even the sound of the door opening and closing didn't break her from her mind-whirling induced trance. It wasn't until Jughead dropped his messenger bag on the countertop beside the page that she was reading that she snapped out of it with a start.

"God," she breathed.

"Nope, just me." Jughead said, crossing his arms and leaning a hip against the counter.

"You scared me." Betty accused.

"Well, you were engrossed with snooping through my notes," he countered, "Interesting reading?"

"Actually, yes," Betty said, turning back to the pages, completely unashamed to have been caught in her pillaging, "Let me ask you something; Cheryl admitted that she and Jason heard a gunshot at the river's edge. Archie admitted to being in the vicinity and hearing the same gunshot."

"Right," Jughead said slowly, his internal sensors blaring at him that she was onto something and he should pay close attention.

"There was someone else at the river that day that hasn't said anything about a gunshot and no one has even brought him up," Betty stated turning away from the folder to look Jughead directly in the eyes.

Everything in Jughead's brain clicked into place, "Dilton Doiley."

Betty nodded, "Dilton Doiley."

Jughead's gaze went to the wall, his eyes darting back and forth as though he were watching a slideshow in his mind's eye. He was working something out, putting the pieces together. It was fascinating for Betty to witness. She wanted to be a part of that so badly. The door banged open and Kevin and Toni walked in, followed less than a minute later by Ethel. Jughead came out of his own head to acknowledge their presence then walked over to the dry erase board.

"No meeting today." He said, grabbing a marker from the countertop, "your assignments are on the board."

Then he struck through Ethel's assignment and Betty's name, "Ethel, you're on the Taste of Riverdale." With that, he threw the still uncapped marker on the counter, snatched up his messenger bag and headed for the door, "Coop, you're with me."

Author's Note : Well, that's it! That's all I got for now. Let me know what you think!


	10. Chapter 10

Author's Note : Hi there! Here is the next chapter! It is kinda long but a lot happens and it was a lot of fun to write! I hope you enjoy. Please review and let me know what you think. Do you love it? Do you hate it? All critiques are welcome!

Chapter Ten Song : "Firebird" by Milky Chance

Disclaimer : Don't own the characters. Just really like them.

CHAPTER TEN :

Betty hadn't needed to be told twice. She'd snatched up her jacket and scampered after Jughead, trying to keep up with his long legged stride. She hadn't noticed Toni's smugness, Ethel's glower or Kevin's raised brow. She hadn't noticed anything but Jughead. She'd followed him straight through the double doored entrance of the school, across the parking lot to where his motorcycle was parked. She skittered to halt as he kicked a leg over to straddle the bike, then held a black helmet out to her in offering.

"Hop on." He said.

She hesitated, "Um, I've...I've never..."

"C'mon, Coop," he said, that cocky half smirk on his lips.

Betty's heart fluttered. Coop. She was Coop again. She took the helmet from his hand and put it on as she climbed onto the bike behind him saying, "Just...go slow."

Jughead gave a soft chuckle, "Oh, no, no, no, no, no. It's actually much more dangerous if you go slow. You are gonna need to hold on tight."

He had to have been able to hear the pounding of her heart in her chest, his words had caused her pulse to skyrocket so. She reached her arms around his lean waist, pressed her front snug against his back and locked her hands together. It felt so right she had to suppress the urge to let out a relieved sigh. This...this moment, holding on tight to Jughead was where she belonged. It somehow felt like coming home. Finally.

And that reality made her feel like the devil incarnate.

She didn't have a long time to dwell on the inappropriate direction of her feelings because Jughead kicked the bike into life, twisted the gas and they shot off from the parking lot.

For the first few moments, Betty felt completely frozen in fear. As the ride continued, however, she began to relax, to learn from Jughead's body, to move when he moved, to lean into each turn as he did. It wasn't long at all until he felt like an extension of herself and the bike was merely an extension of him. The speed, the power, the emotion of it all was exhilarating. She wanted to ride on that motorcycle with him forever, for as far as the road would take them.

Having Betty's arms wrapped around him, her thighs bracketing his own was a both heaven and hell. He could feel her body heat against his back, her hands clung tight to the tautened muscles of his abdomen. She moved with him and rode with him, her body speaking the same language as his own. Like she was part of him. Like she was made for him.

Dammit, he couldn't let himself think like that!

Frustrated and pissed off at the world, he gave the bike more gas and sped up. This was a double edged sword, however. Yes, the increased speed would get them to their destination faster but that same increase caused Betty's hold on him to tighten even more, caused her to press her subtle body even closer to his.

Mercifully, the headquarters of the Adventure Scouts came into view and he knew the ride would be over soon. A mercy and a disappointment. What if he just kept going? Just kept hold of Betty and rode out of town? Would he be damning his friend by doing that?

Probably.

Keeping Betty all to himself was a pleasant fantasy, but in the end it was just that: a fantasy.

He slid the motorcycle into a parking space, shut it down and kicked the kickstand free. Betty released her hold on his waist and he felt the loss like an amputated appendage. They made their way around the back of the main office building the large, open drill field that lay just beyond. There, Dilton Doiley was holding court with his team of scouts.

Jughead and Betty approached quietly, listening in on the tail end of some kind of pep-talk or team speech or something.

"And in that moment of hesitation," Doiley was saying, "you're dead."

"Wow," Betty muttered to Jughead under her breath, "This guy takes this scout thing really seriously."

"You have no idea," Jug said to her over his shoulder before turning back to the scouts and calling out, "At ease, Doiley!"

Dilton looked over at them briefly, then turned back to his troupe, "Dismissed. But stay close."

With that, the scout master turned and made his way to the duo.

Jughead was surprisingly forthcoming in his explanation, "We're working on a story for the Blue and Gold. There are few holes in you story from the fourth."

"Keller already asked me this," Dilton said, his gaze bouncing from Jug to Betty and back again, "Neither I nor my scouts heard anything weird."

"Okay," Jughead said, disbelief evident in his voice. He wasn't the subtlest of guys, Betty couldn't help but notice with a smile, "but did you see anything weird."

As Dilton started rattling off about the local wildlife, in her peripheral vision, Betty caught the eye of one of Doiley's scout staring at herself and Jughead. She leaned forward and bumped Jughead's elbow with her own. She watched as Jughead noticed then kid and then brought his gaze straight back to Dilton.

"Oh, yeah," Doiley was finishing his speech, "And Cheryl Blossom. Soaking wet."

Jughead nodded, "Thanks for your time."

With that, Jughead caught Betty by the arm and started to lead her back to the parking lot.

"Wait!" She protested, "Didn't you see the kid? He looked like he wanted to-"

"Not here." Jug hissed, "Not in front of Doiley. He won't say anything in front of Doiley."

"Okay," Betty said, ceasing her struggle, "so where are we going now?"

"Nowhere." Jughead said, "We're gonna move the bike out of the line of sight and then we're gonna follow that kid when he leaves."

It was another hour before the young Scout's father came to pick him up. Jughead kicked the bike into gear and followed them, muttering a praise to whatever deity happened to be listening at the moment when father and son pulled into the parking lot of Pop's. He killed the engine of the bike and smiled over his shoulder at Betty.

"Feel like a milkshake?" He asked.

She grinned back, "How'd you guess?"

And so, Jughead treated Betty to a vanilla milkshake while they sat at Pop's bar and he slurped at a strawberry one all the while keeping a covert eye on the adventure scout and his father as they ate their dinner in a booth on the far side of the diner. After a leisurely forty-five minute meal, the scout was served an ice cream sundae and his father stood and made his way to the register to pay the bill.

Betty and Jughead locked eyes. No words were exchanged. They each rose from their seat, Jughead making his way to the booth and Betty immediately stepping to intercept the boy's father.

"Hi there!" She said, touching a hand to the older man's arm and pasting on her brightest smile, "I'm Betty Cooper. I'm kind of new to town. I'm supposed to meet my friend at the library to study. I though she meant the school library, but apparently she meant to public library...which I thought I knew where it was but...okay, embarrassing but I have a really bad sense of direction. Can you help me?"

Kind eyes and a friendly smile, the scout's father turned to face her more fully, "Of course." Without the slightest bit of suspicion, he drew a napkin from one of the metal holders on the counter, plucked a pen from the cup beside the register and began to sketch out a rough map of the town for her.

While he was focusing on his drawing, Betty cast a furtive glance over his shoulder to see if Jughead was making progress with the scout.

Was he eating the kid's ice cream?

Dammit, Jug, she thought to herself, stop thinking with your stomach for five minutes!

"Does that make sense?" The father asked her.

Betty snapped her focus back to him, "Kind of. How many lights again? I'm so sorry."

"Don't be sorry," he said with a smile, "Look here..."

Finally, she watched Jughead rise from the kid's booth, cast her a glance and then walk through the exit.

"Is that clearer?" Dad asked.

Betty gave him another brilliant smile accompanied by an enthusiastic nod, "Oh, yes! That makes so much sense! Thank you, thank you! You're a real life saver!"

"Have a good night and safe walk over there. It's getting dark. Watch for cars."

"I will," she said, "and thank you again."

Then she bee-lined for the door to catch up with Jughead. He was already straddling the bike, flipping up the kickstand and turning the key. He tossed her the helmet as she approached.

"Well?" She asked as she secured the helmet to her head before swinging a leg over the bike.

"Dilton Doiley fired the gun." Jughead answered in a flat tone.

Betty slapped her hands against his shoulders and gripped, "Wait! What?"

"Exactly." Jughead said simply, then kicked the bike to life. Of the loud rumble of the engine, he yelled back at her, "He's probably at the Taste of Riverdale with the rest of the damn town."

Without waiting for a reply, he twisted the gas and they rocketed off toward the Town Hall to crash the Taste of Riverdale in search of the evil adventure scout master.

Josie and the Pussycats had just taken to the stage when Betty and Jughead entered the event doors. Betty cast a glance around the crowded room, spotting her mother speaking with Penelope Blossom almost immediately but no Dilton Doiley.

"Where do we even start?" She asked.

Having spent a large chunk of his life on the peripheral observing the comings and goings of society, Jughead spotted their young quarry after little more than a moment. He was headed for a back stairwell. However, Jughead also spotted something else that caused him some concern.

Archie's dad was involved in a cozy looking conversation with Ms. Grundy.

"He just ducked into the back stairwell." Jughead told Betty, pointing in that direction, "You go catch up to him. I see someone that I need a word with."

"What?" Betty's face reflected her confusion when she turned to face him, "What do you mean you see someone? Who? What could be more important than-"

"Betty!" He interrupted her, "Go catch Doiley. I'll catch up to you in a minute."

"Okay," Betty said, "Fine."

She turned away and headed for the stairwell where Jughead had seen Dilton duck through. As soon as he saw her hand hit the doorknob, Jughead made his way toward his best friend's father and his best friend's older lover. He made it within earshot just in time to hear the tail end of Ms. Grundy's sentence.

"Archie's a special kid." She said smiling.

"Isn't he just?" Jughead chimed entering into the conversation.

Fred Andrews reached a hand out a gave him a paternal pat on the shoulder, "Hey there, Jug. I was just talking to your music teacher here. She was telling me how talented Archie is."

"I'll just bet she was." Jughead said and fixed the older woman with a cold smile, communicating with his narrowed eyes just how much he knew, "Good evening, Ms. Grundy."

He watched Grundy's eyes shutter, "Mr. Jones."

"Talking about Archie, huh?" Jughead said. If he had the power to shoot lasers out of his eyes, Grundy would have been a pile of ash already.

"Yes, well, I take an interest in my gifted students." She said.

Oh, I know," Jughead said, looking back and forth between her and Mr. Andrews. He locked his gaze with Grundy's and by God he would not be the one to blink first. He wanted her to know that he knew exactly what kind of a person she was. "Ms. Grundy is amazing a ferreting out...potential."

Ms. Grundy's smile had morphed into a closed mouth, tight lipped grimace that was masquerading as a smile. Jughead watched her throat work as she swallowed with some difficulty. "Well," she said, cleared her throat and nudged her glasses higher on the bridge of her nose, "I need to find Principal Weatherby to discuss a class. It was nice meeting you, Mr. Andrews."

"You too, Ms. Grundy. Have a nice night."

"Yes," Jughead tossed it with another chilling smile, "Enjoy your evening."

"Mr. Jones," Grundy closed off and the skittered away.

Jughead felt a semblance of satisfaction in her tucked tail exit.

"Hey Jug," Mr. Andrews said again, "I'm surprised to see you here. This doesn't really seem like your kind of scene."

Jughead shrugged, "I'm chasing down a lead for a story."

Mr. Andrews laughed, "Aren't you always?"

"So, is Archie here somewhere?"

"Archie's grounded, Jug."

"Ouch." Jughead said, "That seems harsh. Didn't he help Josie with this song?"

"He lied to me."

"Well, yeah, but-"

"He lied to me, Jug."

"He's a seventeen year old, Mr. A."

Mr. Andrews locked him with a dad stare, "Should I take that to mean you lie to FP on a regular basis?"

"Okay," Jughead said, "I'm gonna take this opportunity to make a tactical retreat."

"Probably a good idea."

"Tell the incarcerated I said hi."

"Will do."

"Good night."

"See you later, Jug." Mr. Andrews finished with, "You need to come to dinner soon. I miss seeing you around."

Jughead grinned over his shoulder as he headed for the stairwell, "You know I can't say no to food."

Betty had found Dilton Doiley leaning against the wall at the bottom of the stairs.

"Hello, Dilton," she said.

Dilton looked up at her and then looked around as though looking for someone else named 'Dilton.' Girls that looked like her didn't just come up to guys like him and start a conversation.

Betty descended the stairs and leaned against the wall beside him. She stood there for a moment, letting the silence sink in, make him just a little uncomfortable, put him just a little on edge. Then she went for the jugular.

Letting her voice get just a little breathy, she said, "We know you're the one who shot the gun on July Fourth, Dilton. That means you lied. You lied to the police and it makes you a public menace."

"Look," he said, turning to face her fully, his glasses slipping low on his nose. He didn't bother to push them back up, "I was doing the adventure scouts a favor. Someone has to teach them how to stand their ground-"

"Oh, save it for your statement to the cops. I'm not interested." She started to turn away.

"Wait!" Doiley said.

Betty bit back her smile and turned back toward him, "What?"

"What if...what I tell you everything?"

Betty stared at him another long moment as though considering.

When Jughead found Betty, she was sitting at the top of the stairs under the twinkling lights as people moved around her, paying her little to no mind. He crossed to her and sat down at beside her. She looked at him and beamed, "Dilton will be joining us tomorrow morning at the Blue and Gold office."

Jughead returned the smile, "Yeah?"

"Yup," she said, "he wants to tell us everything. Apparently he's scared I'm gonna go to the cops."

Jughead chuckled, "Well done, Coop."

She looked at him and their eyes met and held, blue and green locked together as though connected by gravity. Jughead watched Betty's gaze drop to his mouth in a slumberous kind of haze and all at once it felt as though his skin were on too tight.

"Jug," she breathed and started to lean in to close the distance between them. Their foreheads rested against one another. Betty's eyes fluttered closed. She nuzzled ever so slightly closer, her nose rubbing against his cheek, her breath warm as she whispered his name again, "Jug." Images of lips, teeth, tongue and limbs bombarded Jughead's brain only to be immediately chased away by the sudden and powerful picture of a predatory teacher sucking the soul from his best friend.

He caught Betty by the upper arms and eased her back away from him before contact could be made and said, "No."

She stared back at him, those big eyes wide and confused at the sudden rejection.

"You're Archie's girl," Jughead said.

Betty shook her head, "But, it feels...wrong."

"No!" Jughead countered and climbed to his feet.

"I don't feel that way about him," she stood as well, reached over and twisted her fingers into the leather of his jacket, "I feel-"

"You're good for him. You're so good for him."

"Even if I don't...if I can't..."

"He needs you."

"I care about Archie, I do, but-"

"You do?"

"Yes, but-"

"Then do the right thing!" Jughead's green eyes bore into hers, into her very soul, "And stay away from me."

Betty stepped back as though he had struck her. A teardrop escaped her eye and trailed down her cheek, "You don't mean that."

Jughead wanted to touch her, to comfort her but he knew he couldn't. So instead he said, "Yes, I do."

And then he walked away.

Author's Note : So...that's all for now. I know someone is probably mad at me for the way I ended this one but it all serves a purpose, I promise. Now, the pressing question in my head...what did y'all think of the finale? And of course, the chapter? Hope to hear from you soon! Bye!


	11. Chapter 11

Author's Note : So...here's the thing. I am not above bribery. This is a fairly short, but essential chapter. I do however, have a large portion of the next installment completed. Since it is a holiday weekend and this is a shorter chapter, if I get enough reviews (because I crave your thoughts) I will post the next chapter this weekend instead of next. I feel like that's fair. :-) Read on!

Chapter Eleven Song : "Awaken" by Klergy

Disclaimer : Don't own the characters. Just really like them.

CHAPTER ELEVEN :

Betty didn't know what to do with herself as she watched Jughead's leather clad back disappear into the crowd at the base of the stairs and then out the door. He was her ride, but that seemed inconsequential at the moment. She sank back down to sit on the top step, her breathing coming in shallow, uneven pants as she fought to keep herself from the brink of hysteria. She felt like jumping beans were in her veins; she was twitchy and frantic and there was a buzzing in her ears that wouldn't stop.

_Stay away from me._

With that one sentence, it felt like Jughead had torn her soul into shreds. Betty pulled her knees up to her chest and wrapped her arms around them. She struggled to choke down her sobs while her body started to give off involuntary shivers. A warm hand touched her on the shoulder and she nearly jumped from within her skin.

"B?" Veronica's voice came, "Oh, my God. Are you okay? What happened?"

"Nothing," Betty said, very aware that she couldn't very well say that the guy, not her boyfriend, that she had intense feelings for had just crushed her fragile heart under his motorcycle boot, "I just had a fight with my dad. It'll be okay."

"You look like you're about to have a panic attack."

Veronica's mother came around and kneeled in front of her, "Hi sweetheart, do you want us to give you a ride home?"

Betty nodded, "Would you mind?"

"Of course not," Hermione said, taking her hand and helping her rise to her feet, "C'mon, honey."

Hermione and Veronica dropped her off at her door barely fifteen minutes after they had found her mid-meltdown in the stairwell. Throughout the drive, Betty had rested her head on Veronica's shoulder, who in turn had stoked a hand over her hair and whispered that everything would be okay. Of course, Veronica only thought she was comforting a friend after a fight with a beloved parent, but it didn't matter. The sentiment had the same effect regardless. In the moment, Betty felt loved and cared for and...comforted. Maybe when the sun came up in the morning, she'd find that Jughead's rejection hadn't in fact left a fist sized scar on her heart.  
For tonight though, she'd let her friend stoke her hair and tell her things would be better in the morning and then cry herself to sleep and hope she didn't dream about green eyes and a sweet half smirk.

She walked through the front door and collapsed onto the sofa, assuming her mom and Alan were still at the Taste of Riverdale.

Her presumption was incorrect.

The hallway light flicked on and Alan emerged.

"Betty?" He said, "Wasn't expecting you home so early."

"Is it early?" Betty asked, letting her head fall back against the cushions, "It feels like it's been an eternity."

Alan came into the living room and sat down in the chair adjacent to the sofa, "I've definitely had those days. They just drag on. Mercilessly."

"Sounds about right." Betty muttered.

Alan leaned forward in his chair, bracing his elbows on his knees, "You just gotta tell yourself that you'll get through it."

Betty straightened in her seat and looked at him, "Be strong? It'll be better tomorrow?"

"Exactly."

"I'm getting tired of waiting for tomorrow; of being strong."

"Well, you know you've got someone to lean on if you need to," Alan said as he reached over and brushed a lock of blonde hair that had come loose from her ponytail behind her ear with his fingertips.

Betty's entire body tensed and she smacked his hand away, jerking backward in her seat, "What are you doing?"

Alan slid forward in his seat and put his hand on her knee, "I just want you to know you're not alone."

Betty knocked his hand away and stood, "Got it. Yeah. Thanks. I'm going to bed. Mom'll be home soon."

Feeling strange and awkward and uncomfortable, Betty rushed up to her room where she shut and locked the door before climbing into a scolding shower. She had to be exaggerating what had just happened in her head, right? She was an emotional wreck because of the whole Jughead/Archie thing and it was causing her hormone levels to fluctuate or something which made her brain concoct some creepy ass scenario that seemed worse than it really was.

That was all.

Nothing more.

The next morning did not bring with it the magical state of 'better' that Veronica and Hermione had promised her. She was exhausted from a night of restless tossing and turning, her eyes were bloodshot and puffy and she felt like she might burst into a crying jag at any moment. So, when Archie showed up at her door to walk her to school, it was really the cherry on top of her morning. He was nothing if not dutiful and attentive. Kind of a perfect boyfriend really. For someone. Somewhere.

He held her hand and lead her toward school, like leading a docile puppy on a leash, Betty thought. He told her about being grounded and that it sucked and he felt like his dad wasn't supportive about his music. He talked about helping the Pussycats write one of the songs they performed at the Taste of Riverdale the night before and how he had wanted to hear them perform something he had helped create.

Everything he was saying seemed like stuff that, as his girlfriend, she should already know. She tried to pay attention but her mind was swirling in about ten million different directions. Jughead saying Archie needed her, whatever it was the Dilton would be telling them today, Alan being creepy...there was so much going on.

Weirdly enough, it seemed like since she had moved to Riverdale, the only time her mind was calm and clear was when she was working something out with Jughead. He anchored her; provided clarity.

And he'd told her to stay away from him.

When they got to school, Archie followed her to her locker and stood there while she hung up her backpack and gathered her first period books. He started to reach for them to carry them for her, but she pulled them tight to her chest.

"Actually, Archie, I'm meeting with Jughead at the Blue and Gold before first, so I'll just see you in class, okay?"

"Oh!" Archie said with a raise of his eyebrows, "Okay. See you in a bit."

Betty nodded, "Mmmhmm."

She felt like she could breathe again when he walked away.

When she arrived at the Blue and Gold office, Jughead was already there. He didn't have on his jacket, but the gray sweater and faded blue jeans he wore made him look...cozy. Warm. Appealing. He sat at the desk with his feet propped atop it, a notepad open in his lap and a pen dangling from his lips. He glanced up when she entered and Betty felt the hurt of his words from the night before anew.

But, she was her mother's daughter. She pasted a bright smile on her face and breezed into the room, "Morning, Jughead!"

"Betty," he returned, wary and suspicious.

Jughead didn't know if he'd ever get used to the way the room lit up whenever she entered it. But that wasn't the only thing that leapt out at him on this particular morning. Her eyes were red. Like she'd been crying.

He was scum.

"No Dilton yet?" She chirped.

If she wasn't going to bring it up in conversation, he sure as hell wasn't either.

"Not yet." He answered.

No sooner had the words come than the scout master himself entered the office and shut to door behind him. He looked as though he'd had as rough a night as Betty had. He was sweaty and twitchy, his glasses were askew and his hair was sticking up in a few places as though he'd been tugging at it. A nervous tick of some sort?

"Come on in, Doiley," Jughead said, standing and coming around to lean against the front of the desk, "have a seat."

Jughead expected some agitated pacing of the room, shuffling feet, a few quick jerky movements; all the tell-tale signs of nerves. Dilton, however, did none of those things. Instead moved the chair and sat. Still.

Completely still.

The twitching from just a momnent before gone in a blink. Like a switch flipped inside of the boy.

Jughead had a quick mental image of the Elijah Wood character in Sin City creep factor. This kid was Dahmer junior just waiting for his trigger.

Jug cast a quick look at Betty. She looked just as weirded out as he felt and covertly positioned herself behind the desk so that the solid piece of furniture was between herself and young master Doiley. Jug had known she was a smart cookie.

They all three sat in an elongated silence for what felt like eternity. Finally, Dilton spoke.

"If you publish a story saying that I fired that gun, my life will be ruined. I'll be banished from the adventure scouts and charged with misdemeanor." He said, his tone calm and flat.

Jughead glanced over her shoulder at Betty, who quirked a single eyebrow at him. He then turned back to Dilton and crossed his arms over his chest, "Get to you point, Doiley."

"My point is," Dilton continued, "what if I have a better story?"

Betty shifted to lean in closer, bracing her hands on the desk in front of her.

"Go on," Jughead prompted.

"If I tell you what I know," Dilton's voice took on some emotion, showing the slightest edge of desperation in his tone, "promise me the gunshot stays between us."

Another shared look with Betty before Jughead gave him a solemn nod, agreeing to the terms.

Dilton took a breath, "I saw something at Sweetwater River. Something nobody else saw."

An ominous feeling crept into the pit of Jughead's stomach.

"Ms. Grundy's car...by the river's edge. She was there."

Jughead didn't let himself look over his shoulder again. He was too afraid he would see Betty putting the pieces together in that brilliant brain of hers. And, if by some miracle, she hadn't figured out the truth, he was worried that one look at his face would give it away. He just wanted to protect his friend, but then Dilton hammered the final nail in the Archie coffin with four little words.

"And she wasn't alone."

Author's Note : I warned you it was short. Let me know what you think!


	12. Chapter 12

Author's Note : Sorry this post is a little later than my usually. It has been a weird and crazy week. Anyway, here is the next chapter. It is a little longer. Hope you enjoy it. Thanks to anyone who reviewed. I hope you continue to do so. I love hearing from you!

Chapter Twelve Song : "Bones" by MS MR

Disclaimer : Don't own the characters. Just really like them.

CHAPTER TWELVE :

After Doiley left the Blue and Gold office, Betty's body revolted. She couldn't sit still. She paced back and forth, sliding both hands over her ponytail. She bounced from one side of the office to the other, went from corner to corner. Her body was trying to keep in time to whirling of her mind as pieces that shouldn't fit together snapped into place.

"Oh, my God. Oh, my God. Oh, my God." She kept saying over and over. Then she followed the chant with simple word, but it was the most important word she'd said,

"Archie?"

"You don't know that." Jughead tried.

"But...he was there. He's the only other person who's admitted to being at the riv..." Her gaze locked onto his face and she stopped all movement. "You knew. You already knew that he was there with her!"

"What? I-"

"Don't. Lie. To me." Betty commanded.

Jughead closed his mouth.

Betty let out a loud, humorless laugh, "So, when you said that Archie needed me..."

"He likes you, okay. A lot." Jughead said, "He wouldn't do anything to screw up what he has with you. Including..."

"Including starting things back up with Grundy." Betty finished for him.

Jughead walked around the desk and sank into the chair, "Yeah."

"How did this become my responsibility?" Betty demanded, "How is that fair?"

"It isn't." Jughead said, almost a whisper.

Betty walked over to the desk and stared him down, "You know how I feel about you."  
She'd taken a cue from his book. It was statement. Not a question.

Jughead pressed his thumb and forefinger into his closed eyelids, "Yes."

Betty nodded, "And you feel the same about me."

Jughead dropped his hand from his face and met her stare, "Don't make me say it, Betty."

"Why not?" She cried, "Maybe I need to hear it. Just once."

Frustrated with the situation, the world, life in general, Jughead leapt to his feet, sending the desk chair skittering back across the floor. Whatever he had been about to say was lost however when the Blue and Gold door crashed open and Fangs and Sweet Pea came bursting in, Fangs clutching two candy striped plastic wrappers in his hand.

"Jones," Sweet Pea said, "we gotta-"

Jughead held up his hand to stop Sweet Pea mid-sentence. He focused on the blonde girl, who in turn was zeroed in on the plastic cylindrical wrappers. "Betty," Jughead said, drawing her attention to himself, "I'm gonna need you to leave."

He watched her face crumple. He'd hurt her. Again. It was all he seemed to be capable of anymore. But this was for her own good. She didn't need to be a part of this. He could keep her safe from harm in one regard at least.

Betty turned to leave, but just as she started for the door, Sweet Pea all of the sudden caught her by the arm and drew her up short as he said, "Wait!"

Betty let out a small squeak at the sudden halt, more from surprise, not pain. Not that it had mattered. Everything that followed the second Sweet Pea had laid hand on her had taken place in less time that it took to draw breath.

Jughead wrenched Sweet Pea's arm away from Betty with one hand and with the other, he caught his friend by the collar and slammed him into the wall.

"Don't touch her!" Jughead snarled.

Sweet Pea stared at him some combination of shock, confusion and remorse. "Jonesy?"

Jughead seemed to come back to himself all at once. Eyes downcast, he licked his lips and pushed away from Sweet Pea. Fangs was standing back, mouth agape at the scene and Betty had both hands pressed to her mouth as she stared at him. She was blinking rapidly, confusion evident on her face. And her eyes, Jug would swear he could see the universe swimming in those eyes.

"Look..." He started to say.

Sweet Pea interjected, "No, I get it. Blondie here is your ape-shit switch. Noted."

Jughead scowled at him.

Sweet Pea straightened away from the wall and jerked his blue jean vest back into place. He squared his shoulders and made the decision to risk the displeasure of his prince and say his piece.

"We could use her, Jones."

Jughead's gaze sharpened and narrowed into dangerous slits, "What did you say?"

"I saw you together at Pop's."

"Tread carefully, Sweet Pea."

"Dude..." Fangs tried to warn, but Sweet Pea wasn't listening.

"I'm saying you trust this girl, right?" Sweet Pea continued.

Jughead allowed himself a quick look toward Betty who met his eyes dead on, "Yeah," he said, "I trust this girl."

Sweet Pea gained a little confidence with the admission, "She's a cheerleader."

Jughead's head swiveled back toward him, "And?"

"And the Vixens are always looking to score a bump. She could ask around. Find out who's dealing."

"No!" Jughead hissed.

"Wait," Betty said, "If there is something that you need from me..."

"There's not." Jughead stated, flat.

She stepped towards him, her hand finding its way to his chest of its own volition, "If I can help you, Jughead..."

"I said no, Betty." Jughead said, removing her hand from his chest, but keeping a firm hold on it with his own for just a moment, "It's dangerous and I won't have you in the middle of that."

"But-" This time from Fangs.

"My decision's final." Jughead stated, leaving no further room for negotiation. He dropped his hold on Betty's hand, "Betty, I need a word with these two. In private."

Her lips pressed into a thin, tight line, Betty nodded once and the walked out of the Blue and Gold, easing the door closed behind her. Somehow, Jughead thought he would have felt better about everything if she had slammed the damn thing.

He turned to his crew, "I don't want this touching her. I don't want anything touching her."

"You mean except Archie?"

SNAP

Jughead hurled himself at Sweet Pea. His balled fist connected solidly with Sweet Pea's cheek before Fangs caught him by the arms and dragged him back. Sweet Pea staggered to his feet and spat blood on the floor. He glared at his leader, the boy who would be king, the friend he had pledged his undying loyalty to and watched as that friend struggled against Fangs' hold on him.

Part 2 on the way...


	13. Chapter 12 pt 2

Chapter 12 continued...

"Dude!" Fangs shouted, but the reprimand was directed at Sweet Pea, "You need to shut the hell up!"

"What?" Sweet Pea retorted, "Is it my fault our fearless leader is jonesing for Red's girl?"

At that, Jughead managed to slip from Fangs' grasp and lunged for Sweet Pea's throat. Fangs was just fast enough to a get a booted foot to the back of Jughead's knee. He sent Jughead to a kneeling position and then tackled him to the ground.

"Like you're so goddam morally pure!" Fangs shouted up at his friend as he struggled to subdue Jughead.

Those words finally seemed to resonate with Sweet Pea. His anger drained from him in a wave that left him feeling depleted, exhausted and ashamed. He stepped forward, bent at the waist and held a hand out to Jughead.

Fangs and Jughead ceased in their battle and both stared up at the proffered hand. Jughead looked at the appendage as though it were a rattlesnake poised to strike.

"Sorry, Jonesy," Sweet Pea said, his voice genuine.

Fangs let himself be shaken off as Jughead rose to his knees, took Sweet Pea's hand and Sweet Pea tugged him to his feet.

"That was hitting below the belt and I know it. All of us know how you are when it comes to your friends and loyalty." Sweet Pea went on, his voice filled with contrition, "I didn't mean it."

"No real harm done," Jughead said by way of forgiveness. Then, he cleared his throat and crossed the room to his desk, "Now, you guys came in here for a reason."

Jughead leaned over and scooped the abandoned nearly forgotten JJ wrappers from the floor and deposited them on the desk. "These come from the same girl?" He asked.

Fangs shook his head, "Nah. I found them in the locker room."

It seemed like in the span of twenty-four hours, Betty's world had come crashing down around her, been put back together, then crumbled back down again. When had everything become such a freaking roller coaster?

When she spotted Archie at his locker in the hall, she straightened her shoulders, tightened her ponytail and made a bee-line for him; confrontation and a break-up on her mind. She had never been on to sit idly by. She had been raised to believe that the best way to get results was to take action, so that's what she was going to do.

Archie grinned from ear to ear when he spotted Betty heading toward him. He closed his locker and leaned against it to wait for her.

"Hey, Betty!" He said and touched her arm. He liked how soft her sweaters always were. What he didn't like was the way her entire body had stiffened when he'd touched her. "What's up?"

When her eyes met his, Archie started to get a strong, sinking feeling in his gut. Her expression was so serious. "Can we talk?" She asked, "Maybe somewhere more private? Outside?"

'No!' Archie thought, 'No!' Can we talk was never a good sign. Can we talk equaled bad things, disastrous things. He would not go somewhere private.

"Tell me what's going on, Betty?" He demanded.

She pressed her lips together, took a deep breath through her nose and then destroyed his world.

"Ms. Grundy was at Sweetwater River on July Fourth," she said, her big eyes searching his own, "Archie, were you with her?"

"It's not what you're thinking!" He blurted, catching hold of her arm and clinging in desperation. He could feel the sinking feeling growing. He felt like his stomach was down around his ankles.

"Really?" She asked, the disbelief evident in her voice.

She was a smart girl. Archie knew he would never be able to lie to her.

"Okay," he admitted, "maybe it's a little bit what you're thinking."

"Oh my, God!" She said, "I'm gonna be sick."

"But, listen it's-"

"Illegal, is what it is, Archie." Betty stated, furious and unable to hide the rage.

"Don't say that," Archie pleaded.

"Oh, it's said," Betty spat, "She's your teacher. You're her student."

"What?" A new voice broke in from behind Archie and he turned to see Veronica

standing there with her mouth formed into a perfect little 'O.

"Christ," Archie said and let his forehead fall against the lockers with a THUNK.

Betty didn't hesitate to bring her bestie in on the situation, "Archie has been having an affair with Ms. Grundy."

"Archikins, is that true?" Veronica asked, stepping to Betty's side and glancing around to make certain that no one else was in earshot.

"No. Yes." Archie struggled, "Sort of."

"Okay, that's scandalous," Veronica said.

Betty had laser focus, "How do you 'sort of' have an affair?"

"It's over!" Archie declared, slamming one fist against the locker. When he noticed it pulled both girls' attention completely to him, he softened his tone and took hold of Betty's hand, "It has been since I met you."

Betty shook her head and pulled her hand away, "You said you were at the river alone. You lied to Sheriff Keller. To me. To everyone."

"She believed in me when no one else did." Archie said, his eyes dropping to his feet.

With sudden and unwelcome clarity, all of Jughead's words came flooding back to Betty. How she was so good for Archie, how Archie needed her, how he could never do that to Archie. Archie was splintering. Jughead could see it. And somehow, she had become his duct tape. Jughead could see that too and he'd been trying to tell her. It wasn't right, it wasn't fair...but it was what it was. Maybe Jughead was right and Archie needed her right now. She couldn't abandon him.

But she didn't think she could keep 'dating' him. Not with the way she felt about Jughead.

She had just opened her mouth to tell Archie that she would always be there for him...as a friend but that was the exact moment that Ms. Grundy emerged from a nearby classroom and began walking in their direction. Betty focused in on the older woman just in time to see the teacher do a covert and purely sexual appraisal over the length of Archie's body as she approached. Like a momma bear sensing a threat to her cub, Betty's reaction was instinctive. She wrapped her arms around Archie's neck and pulled him into a hug, as though she could shield him from the other woman's assessment. Archie clung to her like a lifeline, needy, suffocating.

Betty did her best to soothe him, stroking a hand over his back. "It's okay," she cooed, "We'll get through this."

Archie drew back to meet her eyes, "Together?"

His eyes were begging her but Betty couldn't bring herself to actually say the word so she nodded her head, forcing a tight lipped smile. Archie cupped her face and kissed her with a hunger that she couldn't reciprocate. She did however give in to it, let him take what he needed from her. When he finally broke the kiss, he pulled her into another tight embrace and as she rested her chin on his shoulder, she came eye to eye with Jughead.

He was standing across the hall, flanked by Fangs and Sweet Pea and looking like he'd just taken a knife in the gut. Betty willed him to read her mind, to know her thoughts and emotions in the moment. But all that happened was Sweet Pea reached over and squeezed his shoulder I brotherly support before Fangs physically turned him in the other direction and guided him down the hall.

Away from her.

Author's Note : File was too big. Had to split it... That's it for now. Thanks for reading if you are. Thanks for reviewing if you do.


	14. Chapter 13

Author's Note : Next chapter! Yay! Please review!

Chapter Twelve Song : "Home" by Sheryl Crow

Disclaimer : Don't own the characters. Just really like them.

CHAPTER THIRTEEN :

At the end of the day, Betty crept into the Blue and Gold office. Jughead wasn't there but Toni was.

"Hey there, Ponytail," Toni said as she popped the lens off of the camera she was holding, "he's not here. He and the boys bailed after your little display in the hall with Red."

"There was a reason for the display," Betty said, fighting down a wave of nausea.

Toni glanced up at her, "There usually is."

"Jughead isn't making this better or easier for me, you know."

Toni sat down the camera that she was tinkering with and focused all of her attention on Betty, "You've got him shook in way I've never seen before, okay. It's like he can't see straight when you're around and that's not like him."

"He's the one saying it can't happen." Betty muttered.

Toni let out a sigh. It wasn't as though she were exasperated, more like she has just heard something she was expecting and still didn't like it.

Stay away from me. The words were emblazoned on her mind like a brand; a still open wound that ached. But she couldn't do it. She couldn't stay away from him. She wanted to help him. No. That wasn't entirely accurate. She needed to help him.

"Hey Toni," she cautioned, easing into one of the seats at the table, "What do you know about something that comes in a striped wrapper... like a straw?"

Toni's entire demeanor changed. She straightened, her jaw tightened, her arms dropped to her sides as though she had just snapped to attention. "Are you talking about JJ? Betty Cooper, you had better not be messing around with that junk or Archie will be the least of your worries. Jughead will flip his little gray beanie if he even hears your name in the same sentence as Jingle Jangle?"

"I'm not messing with it." Betty said, "I don't even know what it is."

Toni snatched up the camera and jammed the lens back on, which in Betty's limited knowledge, seemed like it couldn't be good for the mechanics of the piece of equipment.

"Keep it that way!" Toni spat.

"Look," Betty decided to try logic, "I'm just curious. Fangs and Sweet Pea brought some of those wrappers to Jughead. He got really upset and then kicked me out of the office when I offered to help."

Toni calmed back down the slightest bit, "No big surprise there. Like I said, you've got him shook. If he got even the hint that you were involved with that stuff...my God, he would burn this place to the ground."

"I'm not exactly a wilting flower, Toni."

"You're not exactly a serpent either."

"Is that what it'll take to get him to let me in- I mean- to let me help?"

"Don't go getting any ideas, Ponytail."

The door swung open, banging against the wall and causing both Toni and Betty to

jump where they stood. Cheryl Blossom breezed in, looking gorgeous and annoyed.

"TT! I've been waiting!" Her sharp eyes found Betty, "Oh. It's you."

Betty could actually feel it as her face involuntarily contracted into a "WTF" expression. Toni looked at Cheryl as an indulgent spouse might; the way you look at someone that you love and would kill for but you know they're saying or doing something completely inappropriate.

"Cheryl..." Toni reprimanded in a slow, gentle tone.

"I know, I know," Cheryl hissed with exaggerated reluctance, "Hobo said I have to be nice."

"Cheryl!" Toni repeated, her tone firmer this time.

"Kidding!" Cheryl said with a Cheshire Cat grin to her girlfriend, then turned her eyes to Betty, "So not kidding."

With that, the statuesque red head turned on the heel of her Louboutin stiletto and made her exit, leaving behind only a trace of Chanel perfume.

"Hobo?" Betty asked.

Toni rolled her eyes, "That would be Cheryl's pet name for Jones."

"But..."

"It's a love/hate relationship." Toni explained in simple terms as she pulled on her Serpents jacket and used both hands to pull her long hair from under the collar, "You just gotta roll with it. Anyway, remember what I said about the JJ, okay? Got it?"

Betty chewed on her bottom lip while she mulled over Toni's words. Her hesitation to respond did not sit well with the other young woman.

"I said, Got it, Ponytail?"

"Got it!" Betty affirmed at once.

After Toni had left the office, Betty lamented the fact that she really hadn't garnered any new information. Just the name of the drug. She knew from what Sweet Pea had said that the River Vixens could be a valuable source in this case, but that would be an arena that would have to be entered into with caution, what with Cheryl potentially reporting to Jughead and all. She could riddle that out later.

For now, she could focus on Jason Blossom to distract herself from her newly acquired battle with Jughead Jones.

What she really needed to know was what had happened between Jason and Polly. Her mother wouldn't even speak to her about it. Cheryl seemed to hate Polly. No one was saying anything on the subject. There was still one source that she hadn't yet tried to tap. And he was very partial to her.

Dad.

When Betty arrived at his house, Hal Cooper was in the garage up to his elbows beneath the hood of a classic Ford. Smiling at the nostalgia, her father had always dragged her out to tinker with one engine or another when he would visit her in Chicago, she walked into the open garage and leaned against the front fender of the car.

"Hey!" Her dad said with a smile as he caught sight of her, "Perfect timing! Why don't you grab a wrench and tighten up that hose for me?"

Betty's smile widened as she complied. They worked a moment in silence before Betty worked up the courage to ask what she had come to ask. Ever since she had been a small child, she had been able to tell her dad anything, usually on the phone but still anything. Maybe the distance helped with that...because at the moment, she couldn't seem to find her voice to ask the question that was burning in the back of her throat.

"Dad? I need to know about Polly and Jason." She finally managed to rasp.

Hal stopped working and instead braced himself on both hands and stared sightlessly down at the engine, "Betty..."

"I heard mom at the river, dad," Betty said when he didn't continue, "I heard her say she hoped Jason was burning in hell. That's a horrible thing to say over someone's murdered body, dad. What happened? What did Jason do that was so bad?"

Her dad turned away from the car. Betty reached over and picked up a rag from the tool box and offered it to. His smile was sad as he accepted it and began to wipe at the grease on his hands. She couldn't figure out if he was stalling, looking for more time or if he was searching for what to say. All she knew was that the last thing in the world she wanted in that moment was to be placated. He turned and sat back against the front of the car and Betty came around to sit beside him. She watched her father take a deep, shaky breath as though to steady himself.

And then he started to speak.

"Jason and Polly had a fight. A big fight, Betty. Afterwards, Polly was devastated. And I came home from work one day and heard the water running in the bathroom upstairs. I went up and called to her, asking it she was okay. When she didn't answer, I kicked in the door."

Betty felt sick to her stomach and the backs of her eyes started to burn.

"Polly was trying to hurt herself, Polly. That's why I sent her away. Why your mother decided to move you all back here. To be closer while she gets help. To stop Polly from trying to take her own life again."

Betty wiped at the tears that were flowing in a steady stream down her cheeks. Polly tried to commit suicide? How could that be? She'd always been sparkly and full of life. Even the idea of her being in such a dark place didn't compute for Betty. "But..." She started, "what would they fight about that was so bad? I mean, I can't imagine Polly..."

She trailed off. She couldn't bring herself to say the words aloud.

Her dad took another breath, "There were rumors about Jason. That he was dealing drugs."

And just like that, red, blaring alarm bells began screaming in Betty's head. Drugs! Jason was dealing drugs!

"When Polly confronted him about it...it got bad."

Had Jason been dealing in Jingle Jangle? Was this a connection that Jughead didn't know and needed to? A connection to what had happened to her sister? Had Jason gotten Polly into drugs, too? Maybe that was what had pushed her sister over the edge. Maybe there was a link between Jason's murder and Jughead's drug situation.

She needed to talk to him.

Soon.

Author's Note : Thanks to everybody who is reading! Thanks to everybody who is reviewing! I appreciate all of it! That's it for now. Till the next!


	15. Chapter 14

Author's Note : Hello all! My schedule has gotten a little bit wonky but here is the next chapter! Hope you enjoy it and if you do...well, it never hurts to leave a review and let me know what you're thinking!

Chapter Fourteen Song : 'Bad at Love' by Halsey

Disclaimer : Don't own the characters. Just really like them.

CHAPTER FOURTEEN :

The day started all wrong. When Betty's alarm went off the morning following her conversation with her father, she had expected to wake up feeling excited and eager to get to Jughead; to tell him what she'd discovered. Instead, what she felt was anxiety, trepidation and a healthy dose of dread.

She blamed Toni for that.

How would Jughead react when he found out that she'd been snooping into a situation that he had specifically warned her to stay away from? Okay, so technically she'd been snooping into the Jason Blossom murder which was a separate situation that had lead her into the drug connection but based on the way Jughead had reacted the day before, Betty doubted he was gonna let her off on a technicality.

Hell, he might even try to ban her from looking into Jason's murder.

Betty let out an involuntary snort as even the thought of such a decree sent waves of irritation rushing through her body. Just let him try and stop her from that.

But, she was putting the proverbial cart before the horse, so to speak. No matter her fear of his response, she had to share the information she had learned with Jughead. He needed to know. It could help him figure out where the drugs were coming from.

Maybe he would change his mind and let her help.

And maybe the sky would fall.

And maybe Jason Blossom would come back from the dead and just tell everybody who shot him.

Archie showed up right on schedule to escort her to school; only today he had Reggie and Veronica and Reggie's car in tow. He slid into the backseat with her, draped an arms on the seat behind her and began playing with the end of her ponytail. Betty didn't particularly care for that but she couldn't very well smack his hand away and shout 'Don't touch me,' in front of Reggie and Veronica, now could she?

This entire situation was exhausting her on so many different levels. It was like there was a constant battle raging between her brain and her heart. Her brain was telling her that Archie was the perfect high school boyfriend; he was sweet, he was cute, he was the all American boy! And he needed her. He told her so everyday.

But...her heart didn't feel like it was going to leap out of her chest when she looked into his eyes. Her body didn't tremble and hum with excitement when she wrapped her arms around him. She didn't feel remotely challenged on an intellectual, emotional and physical level with Archie. No. She felt all those things and more with Jughead. And that was where her heart was directing her.

But then she'd remember that look on Ms. Grundy's face, that hungry, predatory look, and her resolve to be selfish and go for what her heart wanted would falter. She had to figure out a way to make Archie feel strong enough on his own to resist that, for lack of a kinder word, cougar. Then and only then would she stand even the slightest of chances at moving forward with Jughead.

It all hinged on Archie Andrews.

When Reggie guided his suped-up car into the school's parking lot, Betty found herself scanning the spaces for the motorcycle that had become so familiar to her in so short a time. An involuntary breath of relief escaped her when she spotted it parked amidst a slew of other bikes, probably belonging to Jughead's fellow serpents. As quickly as the relief had come, it passed, replaced with anxiety laced with just the hint of anticipation.

'Stay away from me.'

Even as she stepped out of the car and Archie put a possessive arm across her shoulders, Betty's fingers curled into her palms, her teeth sank into her bottom lip and she stared at the school building with knots of anxiety twisting in her belly like writhing snakes. Jughead was in there...and soon she'd have to tell him what she had learned from her father.

Reggie, Veronica and Archie had been carrying on a conversation for the entire car ride to school that Betty had only picked up bits and pieces of, such was her preoccupation. She caught a sentence now as they started up the concrete steps to the double door entrance.

"You have to." Reggie was demanding.

Archie shrugged, "I just don't know, Reg."

"Your dad is gonna be outta town. You have to throw a party." Reggie continued, "I'm pretty sure it's a law."

"Not entirely accurate," Veronica countered with an adoring look at her boyfriend, "but it certainly would be fun! Don't you think so, B?"

Oops.

Betty jerked her attention to her best friend, did a quick context clue search of the sentences that had been strung together over the length of the drive to school. Mr. Andrews out of town. Reggie wants a party. Archie indecisive. Veronica loves a party.

"I mean," Betty said, "I guess. Parties are usually a good thing, right? Nothing too crazy?"

"Right, right," Reggie rolled his eyes, "It'll be a quiet little prayer circle."

Archie had a quick fantasy of Betty in his house, laughing with his friends followed by the idea of taking her hand and leading her to his bedroom...

"You think it would be a good idea?" He asked her, his mouth suddenly feeling a little drier than it had been five seconds before.

Betty offered Archie a sweet smile. Maybe a night of teenage normalcy was exactly what he needed right now. "I think a night of a little fun would be a great idea!" She beamed.

And maybe, just maybe, a small voice in the back of her mind pontificated, it would be a good night to find a drug dealer.

Jughead ducked into the student lounge and pulled a crumpled dollar bill from his wallet. He preferred coffee, but his options on school grounds were limited and he didn't have time to duck out to Pop's before his next period. He slipped the bill into the vending machine which promptly spat it back out at him. Muttering beneath his breath, he ran the dollar through his fingers and tried again with the same result. It was then that he saw her enter the room from the corner of his eye.

Betty walked into the lounge looking like spring and began winding her way around furniture, making carving a path toward him. She wore a silky yellow top and a light gray cardigan. Without his permission, his mind wandered to that top. If he touched it, would that yellow material be as soft as it looked? Would her hair? Her skin?

Jughead fastened his gaze to the money in his hand and stared at it as though it could offer him refuge, as though it could somehow save him. When Betty reached his side, he doggedly kept his focus on that dollar as it went into the vending machine dispenser and then back out again, over and over.

"Jughead," Betty said, her voice soft, "I need to talk to you."

"I don't think we have anything to talk about, do we?" Jughead returned.

Betty rocked back and forth on the balls of her feet, impatient. "More than you know."

As the bill was rejected by the machine for what had to be the twentieth time, Betty rolled her eyes and snatched it from Jughead's fingers. She folded it length-wise, ran it over the corner of the vending machine, flattened it again and inserted it into the dispenser.

Of course the damn thing took it from her on the first try.

Brows pulled down into a scowl and with more force than necessary, Jughead punched the button and sent a Coca-cola crashing from within the bowels of the vending machine. He plucked his caffeine from the tray and finally turned to face Betty. She stood with her arms folded across her chest and both eyebrows raised as though daring him to even try to brush her off.

Good God, really, who in their right mind could resist this woman?

Unable to bite back his smirk, Jughead popped the top of his soda and crossed to a vacant chair, "Alright, Coop, what have you got?"

A more than satisfied grin on her face, Betty joined him, taking a seat on the nearest adjacent sofa. When she turned her body to face him, their knees bumped and then settled less than a breath away from each other. Jughead was painfully aware of the proximity - but all of that melted away when she began to speak.

"I decided to talk to my dad about Jason and Polly last night..."

She went into it all, the entire sordid conversation and didn't hold back on the details. She shared all of it; Jason and Polly's relationship, their fight; Polly's eventual suicide attempt and hospitalization.

Jughead rubbed a hand hard over his mouth, "God, I'm sorry, Betty. That's hardcore."

Betty nodded and then took a deep, steadying breath. "That's not all, Jughead." Her voice had gone quiet, "My dad told me that there were rumors about Jason."

Jughead leaned forward in seat, bracing his forearms on his thighs, "Yeah?"

"Rumors that he was dealing drugs."

"What?" Jughead straightened in his chair and cast a quick glance around the room to make sure that none of the other occupants were paying them any attention, "Are you sure?"

"That's what my dad told me. He said that was what Jason and Polly's big fight was about. He'd been...dealing drugs and Polly didn't like it. Jughead, what if Jason was working for the same person you've been looking for? I mean, it can't be just a coincidence, can it?"

Jughead looked away from her and chewed on the corner of his mouth for a long, silent moment. "Anything's possible, I guess."

"But you don't think so, do you?" Betty persisted, "I can't bring myself to believe that it isn't somehow connected."

"Yeah, maybe." Jughead dismissed with a nonchalant shrug that Betty didn't buy for a second, "Well, thanks for the intel, Betty. Now-"

"No!" Betty blurted and stood to look down at him, "You are not cutting me out of this. Don't even think about it."

Jughead stood as well, "If the two are connected like you say, then it could be really dangerous and I don't want you involved."

"I don't really care!" Betty snarled, "I am involved. This is personal for me. We're talking about my sister."

"You think I don't get that?" Jughead hissed, "I get it, okay. I do. But that doesn't change the fact that I'm not gonna stand by and let you put yourself in danger."

"It's really not your decision."

"Actually, it really is."

All at once, Betty realized how close they were standing. She wasn't sure who had moved first or when it had happened, but she found herself more or less pressed completely against his chest. She could feel the heat radiating from his skin; she could hear the beating of his heart-or maybe that was her own pounding in her ears. Without her permission, her gaze dropped to his mouth. His perfectly shaped, beautiful, temptation of a mouth.

"Hey guys!" A voice called.

Archie.

Jughead sprang back away from her as though she had the plague.

Dammit.

Archie bounded over to his two friends, oblivious, not a care in the world. Betty had never resented a fellow human being in the way that she resented her 'boyfriend' in that moment.

Archie cupped a hand to the back of Betty's neck and as her shoulders tensed, she watched in horrified fixation as the scowl on Jughead's face deepened and he took yet another step back, widening the ever growing distance between them. Betty wanted to call him a coward even though she knew that it wasn't true. If anyone was the coward, it was herself.

How many times had she told herself to tell Archie how she felt, to break this...whatever it was...off and not been able to bring herself to do it?

Archie's fingers gave her neck a gentle squeeze, "Did you tell Jug about the party?"

No. She'd been too busy arguing with him-then too busy wishing that he would kiss her.

"I was just about to," she said.

"What party?" Jughead asked and made a conscious effort to shift his entire focus away from the girl of his dreams to the friend of his childhood.

Archie nodded with the childlike enthusiasm he had always seemed to embody, "Yeah. Dad's out of town this weekend so I decided to throw a party."

Jughead looked skeptical, "You decided?"

Betty rolled her eyes and grinned, "Reggie talked him into it."

Jughead nodded, "Ah. Now that makes more sense."

"What, are you saying I'm no fun?" Archie asked with a goofy smile on his face.

Jughead shook his head before replying, "I would never say that. I would merely infer it."

Archie laughed, but it sounded uncertain to Betty; as though he wasn't really sure if he was supposed to laugh or not. For a quick instant, she wanted to reassure him-then she remembered being close enough to Jughead to breathe his breath and how Archie had ruined it.

Screw him. Let him be uncertain.

"You're gonna come, right Jug?" Archie asked.

Betty found her attention rapt on Jughead. She really wanted to know the answer as well.

Jughead groaned, "Parties. You know that is the opposite of everything I enjoy, right?"

Archie nodded, "I do. But it would just feel wrong if you weren't there."

"It's wrong anyway, dude." Jughead reminded.

"You know what I mean."

"I do." Jughead replied, his shoulders relaxing a little, "Yeah, Arch, I'll come by. I don't promise to have a good time or even stay but I will come by."

Archie slapped him on the shoulder, "That's all I ask."

Jughead's eyes found Betty's. They were bright and wide and he would have sworn that he saw the light of anticipation dancing in them. Was that for him? Because he said he would come to the party?

Who was he kidding? He knew it was. He knew how she felt. He knew that she wanted him just as badly as he wanted her. It was dangerous and messy and...exciting and satisfying and all kinds of tempting.

The one true thing that he knew for absolutely certain was that he needed to keep his distance from Betty Cooper.

Author's Note : That's it for now. I have a very serious question: is anyone frustrated by the slow burn? Please review and let me know!


	16. Chapter 15

Author's Note : Hello all! Here is the next chapter. And all I have to say is...Oh, Betty. Review and let me know what you think!

Chapter Fifteen Song : 'Cheap Thrills' by Sia

Disclaimer : Don't own the characters. Just really like them.

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

When Friday evening rolled around, Betty sat on the bed in mother's room as Alice packed a bag.

"Okay," Alice said as she folded a silk pajama top into her bag, "I'll be back from the retreat on Monday morning. Your dad will be back from Cincinnati Sunday evening. Of course, Alan will be here but if you need me, you can call my cell."

Betty laughed, "Mom, you've been out of town before. I know the drill."

"I know you do, sweetie, but we're still new to town and I'm feeling a little guilty leaving so soon after we've gotten here."

"You've been looking forward to this spa retreat for months. I'll be fine." Betty assured.

She would be fine. She'd be at a party. Eavesdropping. Snooping. Hitting up sources. All the things she did best that...let's face it, her mother would be proud of.

And Jughead would be there at some point.

Twenty minutes after Alan left to take Betty's mom to the airport, Veronica and Kevin appeared on her doorstep.

"Ready to par-Tay?" Veronica said as she breezed through the front door, then came to an abrupt halt as she took in Betty's appearance, "Is that what you're wearing?"

Betty looked down at her jeans and sweater, "Uh, yeah why? What's wrong with it?"

Kevin answered with another question, "Isn't that what you were wearing at school today?"

"Uh-huh..." Betty answered slowly.

Kevin and Veronica shared a long look that involved tightened mouths and raised eyebrows and made Betty more than just a little self conscious.

"Okay, honey," Veronica chimed, taking Betty by the arm, "to the closet!"

"Party wardrobe and school wardrobe should be very different entities." Kevin explained as he followed the girls up the stairs.

Nearly an hour later, Betty found herself standing at Archie's front door in her Veronica/Kevin approved outfit. She felt half-naked and exposed in what had to be the world's shortest black skirt. It hadn't started out that way. It had been a perfectly respectable length until Veronica and Kevin had attacked it with a pair of scissors and a needle and thread. Every now and then. Betty would catch herself tugging at the hem and mentally willing the material to grow just little.

The door swung open and Archie enveloped her into a warm hug.

"You're beautiful," he said into her ear and dragged her into the house where there was already a throng of people drinking from red plastic cups and grinding their bodies against one another.

Betty scanned the crowd and when her eyes landed on a familiar leather jacket, her pulse skyrocketed...only to plummet right back down when she saw that it was only Sweet Pea. Veronica caught hold of Betty's hand and drew her away from Archie, leading her into the crush of guests.

"Let's get a drink!" She called over the music.

Veronica thrust a cup into Betty's hand before she was carted off by Reggie to join the mass of dancing bodies. Betty was left alone and not really sure what she should do with herself. Archie was surrounded by members of the football team playing some kind of drinking game. Kevin had disappeared with another leather jacket wearing non-Jughead serpent eons ago, an unhappy looking Moose glaring after him from Archie's side. There was an interesting drama in the making. Funny how Kev was the gossip columnist and the best gossip she had seen so far was his. Bet that wouldn't be making the spread. Betty took a small sip of the beer in her cup and searched the room for anything that might yield some kind of a lead for herself...or for Jughead.

That was when she spotted her.

A perky little brunette that she recognized from the River Vixens. Midge. Moose's girlfriend/beard. Midge was holding a candy striped wrapper and watching the retreating back of a-serpent! Betty darted for her side.

She purposefully swayed a little on her feet to appear a little drunk, "Hey, Midge!"

Midge smiled openly, "Hi, Betty!"

"Was that Jughead I saw?" Betty hedged, "I need to ask him something."

"Oh," Midge replied, casting a glance over her shoulder, "No, that was someone else."

"Oh, darn." Betty nodded, "What is that? Pixie stick?"

Midge tinkled out a musical laugh, "Gosh no! This is way better! It's JJ!"

Betty blinked, radiating innocence, "What's that?"

"It's great for when you just wanna feel good."

"Where do you get it?" Betty asked.

"My friend," Midge shrugged, "He doesn't like it when I use his name."

Betty nodded again. She felt like a bobble head.

"Did you wanna try some?" Midge offered, her voice rising at least two octaves in her excitement.

Betty stopped nodding. Try the JJ? That was probably not a good idea-but isn't that what undercover cops did all the time to earn trust and develop sources-CIs and stuff? Jughead wouldn't like it. But Jughead didn't like anything she did it seemed.

So, tough for Jughead.

She broadened her smile until her cheeks hurt, "Sure!"

Author's Note : Anyone concerned?


	17. Chapter 16

Author's Note : Hello all! Here is the next chapter. I think y'all will like this one! It was fun to write. I am excited! Let me know what you think!

Chapter Sixteen Song : 'Freak' by Lana Del Rey

Disclaimer : Don't own the characters. Just really like them.

CHAPTER SIXTEEN :

The party was in full swing when Jughead pulled his motorcycle to the curb outside of Archie's house. Music blared, silhouettes danced in the Windows, voices drifted out through the open front door, shouting to be heard over the stereo. Jughead heaved a sigh, balanced his helmet on the bike seat and started to make his way into the hoard.

He entered and spotted Sweet Pea braced against the wall, leaning over Josie McCoy in a corner. Jughead slapped him on the back as he passed by.

"Hey Boss," Sweet Pea greeted before returning to his flirtation.

Jughead made his way into the living room. Not two seconds had passed before Betty came rushing, stumbling from amidst the crowd and straight to him. She looped an arm around his neck to catch her balance and sloshed her drink.

"You're here!" She squealed.

"I am." Jughead responded, not able to keep himself from smiling down at her. Then, he took in her appearance; her flushed cheeks, her pink lips, her big pretty eyes. Eyes that were glassy and unfocused...with pupils the size as one of Pop Tate's cheeseburgers. The smile faded. "Are you on something?"

"What!" Betty said, "No!" She pressed her lips together and gave her head an emphatic shake.

Jughead didn't buy it for a second. "Betty!"

She scrunched up her little brow, adorably, "You're gonna be mad at me aren't you?"

"Probably." Jughead replied honestly.

"Okay," she said and leaned more heavily against him. She spoke in a not-at-all quiet whisper, "So, one of the River Vixens had that stuff you were talking about, Jangle Jingle or...whatever! Anyway, she asked if I wanted to try some and I figured if she thought I did it too that she would introduce me to her dealer! You know, the guy from your gang!"

Jughead grabbed her by the arms and held her at arms' length. He wanted to shake her. "You did JJ? Dammit Coop, do you know how dangerous that stuff is?"

"Not really." Betty said honestly, "You wouldn't tell me anything about it." She leaned into his hands and smiled at him, "I like it when you call me Coop. Did you know that?"

"Who was the River Vixen?"

"Midge." Betty answered, "But she's gone now. She left with-"

"Fangs?"

"Actually, yeah. Which was weird." Betty said, "She's supposedly dating Moose, but Moose is more into Kevin and Kevin took off with a serpent with really pretty hair. It's all very complicated."

Jughead found himself smiling. He hated that she was on drugs right now but dammit, she was cute. "Nah, not complicated. Just Riverdale. Where's Arch?"

"Somewhere." Betty said with an absent wave, "Let's not talk about him."

He lead her over to the couch, dragged someone off of it to clear a spot and then sat Betty down. "You sit right there, okay? Do not move until I get back."

Betty nodded. Again.

Jughead took off toward the kitchen at the back of the house in search of his childhood friend. He found the redhead slamming back shots in a game of quarters.

"Hey Arch, Betty is...are you drunk?"

"What?" Archie said, and the smell of alcohol wafted on his breath to slap Jughead in the face.

"Great." Jughead replied.

What the hell was he supposed to do now? Betty needed to be looked after in her condition and Archie sure as hell wasn't in any shape to do that.

"Calm down, Jug!" Archie slurred, squeezing his friend's shoulder, "I'm glad you're here! You wanna drink? You need a drink! You should play with us! You wanna play?"

"Okay," Jug said, "tell you what, I'm gonna go look after your trashed girlfriend since your too wasted. I'll just make sure she doesn't overdose, get alcohol poisoning or...you know, raped."

Archie didn't seem to be listening but had turned his focus back on the game, "Great, thanks, Jug. You're the best." He grabbed Jughead by the arms and smacked a loud kiss on his friend's cheek. He really was gone.

After Archie turned back to his game, Jughead turned to make his way back to Betty. Her head had lolled back on the couch cushions. He leaned over and shook her shoulder, "Betty."

Her eyes snapped open and then she beamed at him. She leapt to her feet and again threw her arms around his neck.

"You should dance with me, Juggie," she said.

Jug cast a quick glance to find Archie. He could just barely see him through the kitchen window. He was in the backyard and appeared to be assisting a fellow bulldog in a keg stand. Another scan of the room and he found Veronica making out with Reggie in the corner, oblivious to their surroundings. There was no one to see. What could be the harm? He turned back to Betty. Why not take this one moment in time, just this one, for himself? He felt Betty sway her hips against his. His thoughts went a little fuzzy and his jeans went a little tighter. He could take this moment and hold her in his arms and lock it away just for him. He slid an arm around her waist and pressed her body tighter against his own. His other hand he slipped up her back to cup the nape of her neck. She tightened her own arms around him as well.

"Juggie, huh?" He asked, his eyelids dropping to half mast as he stared down at her.

"Yep," Betty said and rested her head on his shoulder. When she spoke he could feel her lips brushing against his neck, "You're my Juggie and I'm your Coop."

"Betty..."

"I know," she cut him off, "I know it isn't true, that it isn't real. But just for now, let me pretend. Let me pretend that I belong to you and you belong to me."

Jughead took a deep breath, filling his nose with her sweet scent, "That's a dangerous game."

"Important, though."

He held her against him, swaying to the music, her hips moving against his own causing the most wonderful, torturous friction he had ever experienced. The dance seemed to last for both an eternity and no more than the blink of an eye. He didn't think any length of time would be long enough to satisfy the need he could feel growing for her every second. When he felt Betty's limbs slackening a little and her head laying more heavily against his shoulder, he knew she needed to lie down.

"Alright, Coop," he said and stopped their motion. He kept one hand braced against her back and scooped her up from beneath her knees with the other, "Let's get you somewhere to pass out."

Author's Note : Hehehehehehe...


	18. Chapter 17

Author's Note : No notes. Enjoy!

Chapter Sixteen Song : 'hostage' by Billie Eilish

Disclaimer : Don't own characters. Just like them.

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN :

Archie entered the house from the epic keg stand battle that just happened. Moose had won. For a bigger guy, he had damn good balance.

Still fuzzy from the beer he'd consumed in short time, Archie scanned the room for Betty. He wanted to see her pretty blonde hair. He wanted to touch her. Maybe he could convince her to go to his bedroom and he could...

He dug his phone from his jeans intending to call her and find out where she was. He swiped his thumb to unlock it, but it wasn't Betty's number that he dialed.

"Archie?" She answered after two rings, "It's late. Are you okay?"

"I still think about you, Geraldine."

A pause, "I think about you, too. You know I miss you."

"I miss you."

"Are you alone?" She asked.

"No."

"Should you be calling me?"

"No," Archie said, "I have a girlfriend. She's beautiful and smart and-"

"Your age," Grundy said.

"Yes."

"But she doesn't know you like I do."

Archie's breath caught at her words. Immediately he was back in that little yellow bug.

Jughead hauled a fading Betty up the stairs to Archie's bedroom. He knew he could lock her in there, she'd be safe. He pushed the door open with his booted foot to find Joaquin pressing Kevin into the bed, their mouths fused together. They looked up, startled.

Jughead scowled, "Get out."

Joaquin knew that look and knew it well. He climbed off of Kevin, grabbed his lover's hand and ushered him toward the door saying, "Let's go, Preppy."

"Wait," Kevin protested, "is that Betty? I-"

"Joaquin!" Jughead snapped.

"I said let's go, Preppy!" Joaquin exclaimed, propelling Kevin through the doorway before throwing a glance back at the serpent prince, "Sorry, Boss."

With that, Joaquin closed the door behind him, the room went dark and Jughead realized that he was alone with Betty Cooper. The only light was filtering in through the window from a dim street light across the road. There was muffled bass thrumming up through the floorboards. Jughead felt his eyes go to the door where there was a very sturdy lock...and a bed less than ten feet away.

A bed. Ten feet. Christ help him.

He shook the thought away.

"Ready to lay down for a bit?" He asked Betty. Her eyes had fallen closed and her head was lying heavy against his shoulder.

At his question, she nuzzled her face against his neck sending goosebumps down his spine, "Will you lay with me?"

"God, Coop," Jughead rasped, "are you trying to drive me crazy?"

"Yep," She cooed, "You drive me crazy. Fair's fair."

Jug chuckled and hauled her over to the bed to lay her down. Her skirt slid up her thighs and the thing was already pretty damn short. He pointedly pulled his eyes away from the masterpieces that were her legs and knelt by the bed near her head. She blinked those big eyes open to look at him.

"How ya feeling?" He asked her.

"A little fuzzy." She said, and propped herself up on her elbow first and then sat up, tucking her legs beneath her, "Am I dreaming?"

Jug quirked an eyebrow, "Do you think you're dreaming?"

"I want to be." She said.

"Why?"

"Because then I could do what I want to do...and no one would get hurt."

Jughead suddenly found it difficult to swallow, "What-"

Betty leaned forward, her fingers gripping the edge of the mattress. Everything seemed to slip into slow motion as her eyelids fluttered, her gaze dropping to his mouth. And then she pressed those beautiful, soft lips to his. Jughead pulled back instantly, like he had received an electric shock. Every nerve ending in his body seemed to come alive and start humming at once. Betty stared at him with an open and vulnerable longing. She scooted closer to the edge of the bed and leaned forward to kiss him again.

Jug tensed, prepared to pull away and end this. But then he just decided to... let himself forget. Forget everything but Betty and her eyes and her lips and her skin. Her mouth met his once again and this time he didn't pull away. The tip of her tongue brushed his lips and he opened them to give her access. She was the sweetest thing he had ever tasted. Her small hands slid up to cup the sides of his face, her fingers slipping into the hair at the back of his neck. Jughead let his hands explore, brushing them over his thighs, her arms, her neck, anywhere he could skim over that silky skin. One of her hands dropped down to tangle in the material of his t-shirt and draw him closer. Jughead let himself be drawn. One knee sank into the mattress as he knelt on the bed, Betty laying back, pulling him to hover over her, never breaking the kiss. He braced the majority of his weight on one forearm resting by her head, while his hand found its way to the soft flesh of her thigh. Betty moaned into his mouth and he felt the vibration throughout his entire body. His hand had begun to slip higher on her leg when...

Glass broke somewhere in the house.

The noise crashed through Jughead's brain like a jackhammer. He broke away from Betty and flung himself backward off of the bed and across the room.

"Juggie?" Betty said, sitting up, reaching for him.

Jughead wouldn't make eye contact. "Get some rest. I'm gonna lock this door. Don't open it for anybody. Not even Archie. Understand?"

"Stay." She said.

"Tell me you understand, Betty."

Her bottom lips trembled the smallest bit, a tear slipped from the corner of one eye, but she nodded.

With that, Jughead slipped out of the room, locking it behind him. He paced back and forth in front of the bedroom door, trying to get a handle on his nerves which felt like they were a tangled heap of a dumpster fire. Letting out a snarl from between clenched teeth, he turned and punched a fist to the drywall three times in quick succession before scrambling down the stairs. When he reached the bottom of the stairway, he locked eyes with a suspicious Kevin Keller. He didn't wait around to explain himself. Instead, he raced through the front door as though the devil were on his heels, leapt onto his bike and peeled off down the road.

Author's Note : Well...


	19. Chapter 18

Author's Note : Well, here is the next chapter. No reviews for the previous one which is a little disheartening considering it was the first kiss. That hit hard.

Chapter Eighteen Song : 'Bad Vibes' by K. Flay

Disclaimer : Don't own the characters. Just really like them.

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN:

Sunlight filtered in through the naked windowpane, penetrating Betty's sleep and dragging her without mercy into consciousness. She sat up in the unfamiliar bed, blinking against the brightness of the morning. It took her less than a minute to remember that she was in Archie's bedroom. Once she was able to recall that little fact, the rest of the night's events washed over her like a tidal wave. Midge, Jingle Jangle, Jughead…the kiss. That warm, wonderful amazing kiss.

Jughead leaving her.

Again.

How many times would she be able stand putting herself out there like that only to watch him walk away from her?

She ran a hand over her hair which had tangled around her head into a rat's nest. Her mouth was bone dry and she had an ache throbbing behind her eyes. The after effects of her brilliant idea to take drugs, no doubt. She crawled out of the bed, found her shoes in the corner and eased open the bedroom door. Once she verified that the coast was clear, she dashed across the hall to the bathroom where she stole some toothpaste to brush her teeth with her finger and secured her hair back with a hairband that she had around her wrist. After putting herself together as best she could given the circumstances, Betty crept down the stairs to take in the carnage from the night before. Bottles and paper cups littered every surface in every room of the house; bodies were strewn over the furniture and floor alike. It was clear that the party goers were basically passed wherever they had landed. Betty's eyes went to the kitchen doorway just as Veronica emerged mid-gulp of a glass of orange juice.

"Good Morning," Veronica said, "are you fairing any better than me?"

Betty grinned, "I need a glass of water and an extra-strength Tylenol."

"'Bout the same then," Veronica laughed.

"This place is a wreck," Betty observed looking around.

"Yup," Veronica agreed, then cast a glance over to where Reggie was still out cold on a leather recliner, "Let's leave the boys to clean up their mess and go get pancakes at Pop's."

Betty linked arms with her friend after she picked her way across the living room to her side, "V, you're my favorite person ever."

Veronica nodded, "Then everything is as it should be."

Half an hour later, the ladies were settled into a booth at Pop's with coffee and orange juice in front of them.

"So, Archie was in rare form last night," Veronica said, blowing at the steaming surface of her coffee, "I can't remember the last time I saw him that way. He seemed to be having a good time but there was something about him that was almost-"

"Desperate." Betty finished for her.

Both girls stilled and looked at each other for a long, silent moment.

"Exactly," Veronica agreed, "I'm starting to wonder if we should be worried about him. Especially, you know, knowing what we know."

"I just don't know, V."

"Well," Veronica forced a bright smile, "at least he has you now."

'Me' Betty thought with a brutal onslaught of bitterness. In her mind's eye, she pictured mischievous green eyes and an arrogant half-cocked smirk. She could still feel the softness of his lips and the warmth of his hands as they had slipped across her back and applied gently pressure to her spine to draw her body closer to his own. What would Veronica think of her if she confessed her real feelings? Would she lose this woman who had come to mean so much to her? Archie was the rock, Grundy and Betty's friends were the hard place and Jughead was the prize on the outside, close enough that her fingertips could brush but not close enough that she could catch hold.

Even as the thought entered her mind, Pop came over with their food and Betty's cellphone rang. She glanced down at her screen.

_Jughead._

She snatched up the phone and looked across the table at her best friend, "I need to take this."

Veronica waved her away, "Take your time. I'm gonna be busy for a minute."

Betty couldn't help but laugh at the blatant lascivious look that her bestie was giving her caramel pecan short stack before scooting out of the booth and stepping just outside the door of the restaurant.

"Hi, Juggie," she said when she answered.

"Coop," he greeted, sounding so close. Just his filled Betty with warmth and longing, "How you feeling?"

"Um…fuzzy. Groggy."

"You remember anything from last night?"

Betty paused to take in a deep breath and give herself a little bit of time before she answered, "How do you want me to answer, Jug?"

"I think you just did."

"Juggie…"

"No. We're not gonna do this to ourselves, Betty."

"But…"

"Let's just…forget it happened."

"You just want to ignore it then? Everything?"

"Yes!" Jughead hissed from the other end of the line, his tone low and broken with a pleading that wrenched at Betty's heart.

"Okay," Betty agreed with reluctance, "It's forgotten. What do you need, Jug?"

"Well, I came to a stunning conclusion last night when I found you at the party doped up on JJ. It doesn't matter what I do, you seem to find your way into trouble. "

"Listen, Jug-"

"So I think it's best if you stick with me so that way at least I can keep an eye on you when you inevitably get yourself into that trouble."

A sudden and abrupt shift in the mood, Betty found herself grinning from ear to ear, "Really?"

"Yeah, Coop, really." Jughead chuckled, "How soon can you meet me at Pop's?"

"I'm…actually already here. Veronica and I came for breakfast."

"Perfect." He said, "I'll be there in an hour. We have a lead to follow up on."

He didn't say goodbye. He didn't say see you later. He just hung up. Under normal circumstances, Betty would have taken aback by the rudeness of such a blatant breach of telephone etiquette but somehow…with Jughead, it didn't feel like he was being rude. It felt like was hitting a momentary pause button on their conversation and they would pick it up in person when he arrived. Since he didn't consider the conversation over, there was no need for any kind of formal conclusion. A smile plastered on her lips, Betty held her phone against her chest and chewed on her bottom lip before spinning on her heel and rejoining Veronica at their booth.

It didn't take Jughead a full hour to reach Pop's. Betty was just finishing the last bite of her French Toast when the bell above the door chimed and he entered. Her eyes were drawn to him almost against her will. He was just so…everything. Veronica cast a glance over her shoulder to see who had caught her friend's attention. Betty pulled her gaze away and focused on her orange juice.

Jughead sauntered over to their booth, "Hey, Ronnie."

"Hey Jug," Veronica greeted, "what's up?"

"Just here to pick up Betty."

"What?" Veronica asked and returned her big brown eyes to Betty, "Where are you going?"

"Sorry, V!" Betty exclaimed, "I was gonna tell you when we finished eating. Jug's a half hour early."

"We have a lead on a story for the Blue and Gold," Jughead tacked on and Betty nodded.

"Oh," Veronica said, her brow crinkling as it did when she was trying to solve a particularly tricky puzzle, "Okay…"

"Yeah," Jughead said, "we need to jet. We have a limited window of opportunity."

"Okay," Betty said and gathered up her jacket at the same time she tossed cash on the table for her meal, "I'll call you later, okay, V?"

Just as Betty stood, her phone began buzzing once again. She glanced at the screen.

_Archie._

She quickly sent the call to voicemail and spun on her heel to head for the door, "See you later, V!"

"Sure." Veronica responded to no one and watched as the two exited Pop's…very close together. She tracked them through the window as they made their way across the parking lot to where Jughead had parked his motorcycle. Veronica then watched him hand his helmet to Betty. Betty put it on with what could be described as practiced skill. Then, as though she had done it a hundred times before and it were the most natural thing in the world, Betty climbed onto the back of Jughead's bike and latched her arms around his waist.

She didn't just hold his waist. There was not a millimeter of space between them as she pressed her entire body into him, resting her cheek against his leather clad back.

Watching her two friends together like that, there were only two words that went through Veronica Lodge's mind. 'Oh, dear.'

Author's Note : That's it for now. I know that not a lot happened in this chapter, but trust me when I say, things are about to get very intense for my favorite pair. Please et me know what you think. There were no reviews on the last chapter and I am kind of having a little bit of freak out. I hope I haven't let you down!


	20. Chapter 19

Author's Note : Next chapter! I figured out a new way to upload so I won't have to cut my chapters down as much as I have been! I can make them all a little longer. In face, I might go back and reload chapter seventeen because I trimmed that one significantly. (Anyone catch that Chapter _Seventeen _was Juggie and Betts' first kiss?) Anyway! Enjoy!

Chapter Nineteen Song : 'Go Your Own Way" by Lissie

Disclaimer : Don't own the characters. Just really like them.

CHAPTER NINETEEN :

Betty felt an undeniable elation at being wrapped around Jughead once more, even if it was only for a ride on his bike. She would have sworn that he had started to take curves a little faster when he realized that it made her squeeze her arms tighter around him. It wasn't necessary on his part. She's hold onto him as tightly as he wanted for as long as he wanted, all he had to do was ask. But he wouldn't, of course.

Jughead zipped the bike along the road, giving it just a little more gas here and there, liking it a little too much when Betty squealed and grasped him harder. She was a treasure. Just not his treasure and he needed to remind himself of that. All too soon he was guiding the bike up the driveway of their destination.

Betty squinted her eyes against the morning sun at the gigantic rod iron gate with the words "Thorn Hill" emblazoned at the top. What the hell?

Jughead pulled the motorcycle right up to the front of the house before cutting the engine. He'd barely swung a leg over when Betty's cellphone buzzed to life in her pocket. She pulled it out to see Archie's name flashing on the screen. He'd called her twice on the ride over and sent seven text messages, all a variation of 'where are you?' and 'call me.' She sent this latest call to voicemail with a swipe of her thumb. When she looked up, Jughead was staring at her, his expression intense.

"Everything okay?" he asked.

Betty nodded with just a touch too much enthusiasm, "Yeah," she said, "of course."

Jughead had just opened his mouth to call her out on her obvious lie when the front door of the, for lack of a better term, mansion opened and Cheryl came walking out.

"Hobo," the redhead said by way of greeting.

Jughead grinned at the term of endearment, "Cheryl. What are we looking at?"

"I couldn't find anything," she said, "and I don't believe for a minute that JJ was dealing drugs. All the same, mummy and daddy are at brunch for at least another half an hour. Nana is down for her nap. You've got twenty minutes, tops. Don't waste it."

Jughead cast an over the shoulder look at Betty and she followed him into that enormous, dark, somewhat horrifying house and up the stairs without a word passing between them.

They reached Jason Blossom's bedroom door and Jughead entered without hesitation, but Betty froze just as she crossed the threshold into the room. There was something inherently creepy about being in the room of a dead boy. It seemed both lived in and abandoned all at the same time. She could tell from the way items were arranged on the desk, the open book laying on the nightstand, the maroon sweated draped carelessly over a chair that everything had been left as it was. As though he would be returning any time. However, there was a stillness to the air that indicated the only activity in the room for a long time had been in passing. No one had lingered over long.

"Is it me," Betty said on a whisper, "or did the temperature just drop like it does in horror movies?"

Jughead smirked, "It's just the icy chill of the dead."

"Don't be macabre," Betty retorted, "Okay, where would a teenaged boy hide something important?"

"Behind the headboard. Under the mattress. Maybe in a drawer."

"Very bed centric, huh?" Betty muttered.

"It's an important piece of furniture."

"Wow." Betty said, quirking an eyebrow and a half smile at him.

Jug grinned, "Focus, Coop."

"Yes, sir."

Jughead crossed to the bookshelf and started pulling items out to see if anything was behind them. Betty ran her hands between the mattress and the box springs of the bed and then pulled out the drawer of the nightstand. She had only just begun rifling when an unfamiliar voice rang through the unnatural silence of the room like a foghorn.

"Hello?"

Betty straightened from the drawer with a jolt and backed directly into Jughead's chest, who had also spun around at the noise.

In the darkened corner of the room, a small, fragile looking older woman with white hair save for one vibrant red streak, wheeled slightly forward in her wheelchair. Her foggy, cataracts laden eyes unfocused, but fixed on them. Cheryl's grandmother. Shit.

"We're so sorry-" Betty started to say.

"Oh, it's you!" Nana said, her voice brightening.

"Um," Betty said, casting an uneasy glance back at Jughead, who shrugged.

Nana held up her hands and beckoned to her, "Come closer, Polly, dear."

Betty felt the rhythm of her heart increase at an alarming rate. Nana thought that she was Polly? And she seemed genuinely excited to see her? Jughead poked a finger into her back and nudged her forward toward the old woman. With finely veiled reluctance, Betty complied.

Nana reached out and caught hold of Betty's hands and drew her even nearer.

"I'm…I'm…" Betty searched for something, anything to say, but her voice trailed off as Nana seemed to be searching her fingers for something.

"Well, of course you're not wearing it." Nana said.

"Wearing…?"

"The ring, Polly!" Nana snapped, "That ring has been in the Blossom family for centuries. You keep it close to your heart."

"I…I will." Betty said, looking over at Jughead. He was staring at the old woman, his entire being giving away the fact that his attention was fixed on every word coming out of the older woman's mouth.

"So sad," Nana went on, her gaze going even more hazy than it already had been, "your wedding was the only thing that I was living for."

"Oh, my God," Betty breathed before she could censure herself.

Jughead picked up on her encroaching breakdown and stepped in, "Okay. Well, Be-Polly, we need to be going now."

He caught her by the arm and led her through the door before the old lady could respond. Not that she probably would have. Her face had gone slack and she seemed to be staring off into nothingness.

Jughead guided the equally dazed Betty down the massive staircase to the front foyer. Cheryl saw them and met them at the base of the stairs.

"Find anything?" she chimed.

"Oh, my God!" Betty said again.

"You could say we had a slight revelation," Jughead said, not letting go of his grip on Betty's arm, "By the way, Nana Rose is very much awake."

Cheryl ignored that, "What revelation?"

"We'll talk about it later." Jughead said and once again without allowing a response, he led Betty out the front door to his motorcycle.

"I need you to breathe, Betty" Jughead said and started to help her put his helmet on her head, but she knocked it away with trembling hands.

The breath that came from her lips was shaky and thin, "They were engaged. They were going to get married. My dad lied to me, Juggie."

"You don't know that," Jughead said, "They could still have had a fight. Still broken up. We don't know."

"What do I do, Juggie?" she asked, those wide, sad eyes locking onto his, searching for answers.

Jughead squeezed her shoulder, "First step, you calm down. Second step, you talk to your dad when he gets back in town. We see if there is anything else that he knows and go from there."

Jughead watched as Betty broke away from his hold to pace back and forth by his bike, seeming to grow increasingly more agitated with every step. Something inside of him made him drop his gaze and it zeroed in on her hands. More accurately, her clenched fists. Her knuckles had turned white from the force.

"Betty," he said, "what are you-"

"Nothing!" she cut him off, tucked her hands behind her back and took a step away from him.

Jughead wasn't about to let that slide. He caught her by the elbow and pulled her toward him. He eased one of her hands out from behind her back and held it up between them. Her fingers were still curled inward toward her palm.

"Open up," he commanded.

With an almost painful to witness hesitance, Betty let her fingers relax, revealing the crescent shaped wounds dribbling fresh blood from where her nails had broken the fragile skin. Jughead didn't say anything for a long moment. He just pulled a red bandana from his back pocket and pressed it to her palms.

"Sometimes," Betty broke the silence with a shaky, raspy voice, "I just…don't know what to do with…everything that's going on inside of me."

Jughead stared into her ocean eyes for three full breaths before bringing her hands up and brushing a light kiss to the backs of her fingers. Betty couldn't tear her eyes away from the soft expression on his face any more than she could stop herself from leaning into him and pressing her mouth to his. Jughead released her wrists and brought his hands up to cup her cheeks as he returned and deepened the kiss. It had started gentle and sweet, a request for comfort, but as it lingered, it evolved, it morphed. It turned hungry and desperate. The red bandana fluttered to the ground as Betty dropped it and took hold of Jughead's biceps, clinging to him as her knees went a little weak.

When he finally pulled away, Jughead rested his forehead against hers with his eyes closed and took a deep inhalation through his nose, just breathing her in for that moment.

"Dammit, Coop."

Mirroring his pose, Betty sighed as well, a single tear sliding down her cheek, "I know. I'm sorry."

Neither of them noticed Cheryl standing in the window where she had witnessed the entire exchange.

Author's Note : Well, that's it for now! I hope you are enjoying it as much as I am enjoying writing it! I am hoping for at least 5 reviews for this chapter. If I can get 5 review, I will post again before next week! Let me know what you think!


	21. Chapter 20

Author's Note :YAY for the reviews! Here is the next chapter! B/c regardless of real life, I ship the hell outta Bughead. Now…

WARNING: This chapter contains themes of sexual assault and violence.

Chapter Twenty Song : 'Blood / Water' by grandson

Disclaimer : Don't own the characters. Just really like them.

CHAPTER TWENTY :

The house was empty when Jughead dropped Betty at home. As she watched him ride off down the road, she couldn't help but feel a little grateful for the time alone. She needed to meditate, calm down and ruminate on what she had learned at Cheryl's house. Her sister and Jason had been engaged. She needed to take some time and figure out how this new revelation factored into everything else that she had learned about Jason Blossom and his murder.

She was exhausted. Emotionally, physically, and mentally drained. Maybe a nap was in order while she had the house to herself. That might be just the thing that she needed to get her brain back on track.

She had just reached the top of the stairs and shut her bedroom door when yet again, her phone began buzzing.

Archie.

Again.

With a deep, calming inhalation through her nose, Betty answered the call.

"Hey, Arch."

"Hey," his voice crackled from the other end of the line, "You disappeared last night. I looked for you."

"Yeah-I had a little too much to drink and passed out in your room."

"I wish I would have known that." Archie said, disappointed and…guilty. Betty would have sworn that she detected a trace of guilt in his tone. But, why?

"Where have you been all day?" He continued before she could wonder too much about it, "I've been calling."

"I'm sorry," Betty said, feeling her own sense of guilt knot and twist in her chest. Maybe she was projecting her own guilt into Archie's tone. "I had breakfast with V and then Jughead and I-"

"Jughead?"

"Yeah," Betty closed her eyes, "we were working on an article for the Blue and Gold."

She hadn't lied. Not once. The entire conversation was riddled with half-truths though and it was gnawing away at her conscience.

"Sure," Archie laughed, "Jug's probably thrilled to have another workaholic at the paper. So, wanna get together tonight? I'll buy you a milkshake."

It was Archie who said the words, but the image that flooded into Betty's brain was Jughead casting that devilish half-smirk over his shoulder and offering to buy her a milkshake the night that they had tailed that Adventure Scout to Pop's. More guilt mixed with longing and pain and confusion. She couldn't handle anymore of that right now. She had too much on her plate with Polly and Jason and her dad and Juggie and Archie and…God, everything!

"Actually," she said, "I'm feeling really tired from last night and then V dragging me out super early. I think I'm just gonna go to bed early tonight if that's okay."

"Yeah, of course."

He sounded so dejected that Betty's heart ached. She though about the previous night, slow dancing, her entire body pressed against Jug's. She thought about that initial moment where their lips had met upstairs in Archie's bedroom. That spark. That fire. She thought about the look on his face when he had seen her scars and the gentle way he had treated her. And then she thought about the naked hunger with which Jughead had returned her kiss that very afternoon.

And she thought again about the dejection in Archie's voice. She wasn't being fair. Not to Archie, not to Jughead, and not to herself. She would find another way to help Archie stay away from Grundy. She couldn't do this anymore.

"I…" Betty stammered, "I need to tell you something."

"What is is?"

"It's not really phone conversation. Maybe we could grab lunch tomorrow and…talk."

He jumped at the offer with such enthusiasm that Betty felt another pang of heartache, "Definitely! I'll pick you up at noon!"

"Sounds great."

"Get some rest, Lois Lane," he said and Betty could hear the smile in his voice.

"Thanks, Arch." She said, "I'll see you tomorrow."

She hung up, flopped onto her bed and screamed into the pillow.

After pulling on a thread bare tee shirt and pajama shorts, Betty curled into bed and fell into a hard, mostly restless sleep. Her body was exhausted but she couldn't seem to turn her brain off. She was taunted by disturbing dreams of snakes, maple trees and frozen water. The branches of the trees scratched at her, the ice cracked beneath her feet and from a distance, a large green snake kept an ever present watch over her. It never drew closer, but neither did it look away or let her forget its presence.

By the time she awoke from her fitful slumber, it was dark outside. She sat up in bed, rubbed at an uncomfortable crick in her neck and looked around the darkened room to the clock on her nightstand. She'd slept for nearly four hours. The house still seemed eerily silent so she assumed Alan had still not made it home. Probably out at some bar with his friends from work. Her stomach growled angrily at her so she crawled from beneath the covers to find something to eat.

In the kitchen, she had just begun spreading a generous dollop of peanut butter over a bit of toasted bread when she heard the unmistakable creaking of the floorboards behind her. She cast a sideways glance over her shoulder and discovered Alan.

He was leaning with one arm propped against the doorway of the kitchen, shirtless, jeans unsnapped and a can of beer dangling from his fingertips as he stared at her. Every instinct in her body went on high alert. Betty didn't like the unsteady sway in his stance or the dangerous glint in his eye. Everything from his posture to his slightly wobbly smile made her uneasy.

He leered over the can of his beer as he took a long swig and then said, "Well, hey, there, pretty girl."

Betty turned back to the counter and made the split second decision to listen to her instincts. The peanut butter laden butter knife clattered to the countertop as she spun on her heel and dashed for the far side of the doorway. Alan's arm shot out and caught her by the waist like a steel band. He flung her back into the kitchen. She landed on her back and slid across the tile, slamming into the cabinets under the sink. For the first time in her life, Betty understood the expression about "seeing stars." She clasped both hands to the top of her head where it had smacked into the cabinets, a movement she would regret because it cost her precious seconds. Seconds that Alan used to grab her thighs, wrench them apart and settle his body between them.

"No!" Betty choked the word past the bile and panic rising in the back of her throat.

She brought her elbow up and caught him in the jaw. It wasn't enough. He retaliated with a backhand across her mouth. Betty tasted the tell-tale metallic flavor of blood on her tongue at the same moment her head snapped to the side with a crack, her vision going blurry with tears. She felt the backs of Alan's knuckles digging into her pelvic bone as he lowered the zipper of his jeans. Betty struggled against him and tried to push him away but he was so heavy. He reached up and grasped her by the throat with one hand while pulling at the drawstring of her shorts with the other.

"Always walking around here, bobbing that little blonde ponytail, twitching that tight little ass-"

"Please don't do this!" Betty pleaded.

"I'm just gonna give you what you've been asking for since you were fourteen, sweet girl."

"Please…"

"See?" Alan laughed, his breath warm and damp and smelling of beer hitting Betty in the face as he leaned in closer to her, "You know you want it, you little cock-tease."

"No." Betty cried.

Blinking away tears, Betty caught sight of the glass peanut butter jar. It must have been knocked to the floor when she had tried to run. She managed to curl her fingers around it. Once she had hold, she brought it up and slammed it against Alan's temple. This time, the blow was enough to knock him off balance so Betty could push him to the side and scramble out from beneath him.

She stumbled to her feet and made a dash for the front door. She had just started to pull the door open, but Alan's hand slammed against it from behind her and forced it closed again. Screaming from behind clenched teeth, Betty shouldered past him and raced for the stairs, taking them two at a time. A hand caught her around the ankle and she fell hard against the top step. Looking back, she screamed, "No!" and brought the heel of her free foot crashing down into Alan's forehead. He grunted in pain and toppled backward down the stairs.

Free from his grip, Betty didn't waste a second rushing for her bedroom. She slammed and locked the door and then used all of her strength to shove her heavy wooden vanity in front of it. She had just gotten it completely in front when the door buckled inward with a loud THUD as Alan threw the entire weight of his body against it.

Betty stumbled backwards and landed with a bounce on her butt just as the door buckled for a second time. "Stop!" she screamed.

"Let me in, Betty!"

"Go away!"

Another hard slam. Getting to her feet, Betty grabbed her phone from the charger on her nightstand and then pried open her bedroom window. She perched haphazardly on the edge and eyed the solid oak tree that was just over six feet from her windowsill. She looked back just as Alan threw himself against the bedroom door again and she heard the distinct sound of the wood splintering. Turning back to the tree, she pushed with all her might and flung herself out the window.

She landed on her stomach, her body folding in half over the tree limb and forcing an audible 'oof' as the air whooshed out of her. She shimmied her way over to the trunk where she wrapped around it and slid down to the base, the rough bark scratching and scraping at her exposed skin as she went. Her bare feet hit the soggy, ice cold ground and she winced. She couldn't have grabbed her tennis shoes on the way out.

She slipped to the far side of the tree trunk, tucking herself out of the line of sight of her bedroom window and looked down at her cellphone. Tears began to stream freely down her cheeks as she punched in the name of the only person that she wanted in that moment. When the answer came, she said only three words.

"I need you."

Author's Note : That's it for now! Hope you're enjoying. I know this is kind of a…well…horrific thing to write. Please let me know what you think! Also, I don't have a beta. I try to catch little typos and mistakes but I am human. So please forgive. Side note : I'm going to be posting another story to this fandom. An idea that is stuck in my head and I can't get out so go check it out as well! It's gonna be…different than this one. Please review!


	22. Chapter 21

Author's Note : Aaaaannnndddd… next part. Dunno what's happening in real life. Very confused. But doesn't change my devotion to Bughead by one iota. So…here we go! Please review. I crave the feedback. Also! Shameless self promotion, posting Chapter One of another story today. A secondary story. This will be the only time I post to both on the same day. I will try to put myself on a nice little rotating update schedule but pop over and check it out! Title _Faithless Vengeance. _

WARNING: This chapter contains themes of sexual assault and violence.

Chapter Twenty-One Song : 'Beginning of the End' by Klergy

Disclaimer : Don't own the characters. Just really like them.

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE :

Jughead Jones broke every traffic law on the books in his mad dash to get to Betty after her phone call. He had been able to hear the tears in her voice, the fear in her tone. Something was very wrong and he hadn't wasted one second on hesitation before jumping onto his motorcycle and speeding off.

He pulled up to the curb outside her house, leapt from the bike and pulled off his helmet. In the back of his mind he registered the sound of the helmet crashing to the ground but he was too busy racing up the stone steps to care.

"Jug!" Came a hushed voice from the darkness.

He glanced to the side just as Betty emerged from behind a gigantic oak tree. She was barely dressed in little cotton shorts and a tee shirt. And she was barefoot. It was freezing out! What the hell was happening? She came stumbling over to him, her feet red and swollen and bleeding, her lips turning blue. Without hesitation, Jug slipped out of his fleece-lined red flannel jacket and wrapped it around her. She was staring up at him with those wide eyes; staring into him as though he were a savior come to take her way. Maybe he was.

"Betty?" He started, "What…"

He trailed off as he noticed the smear of drying blood at the corner of her mouth and the darkening bruise high on her cheek. He let his gaze wonder over the rest of her. It was the angry red handprint high up on her inner thigh, was too fucking high up, that set his teeth on edge. Her voice registered just barely over the dangerous humming in his ears.

"Alan," she said her stepfather's name, "He…he tried to…"

SNAP

Jughead brushed past her to finish climbing the stairs that led to that bright red front door. He didn't pause. He didn't hesitate. He didn't stop to think.

He went on instinct.

"Juggie, wait!" Betty called, stumbling after him, the condition of her feet making her slow and clumsy and unable to keep pace.

Jughead kicked the door open without a moment's worth of regret.

"What the hell?" Alan bellowed from the kitchen, where he was working on God knew what number beer.

Something to note about Jughead Jones. He was not the largest, most muscle bound of fellows. Yes, he was strong and fit, but he wasn't bulky. He knew this. Just as he knew that in any given fight, it was necessarily the strongest who walked away victorious. It was usually the smartest. And he had always been that. What made Jughead Jones an intimidating adversary was not the size of his body, but the size of his intellect. He knew how to size up an opponent, how to exploit their weaknesses and by God, he had never been afraid to fight dirty.

He strolled from the front door, through the living room toward his prey and without so much as a break in stride, he reached down, caught a porcelain lamp by the neck from the end table and swung it in an upward arc. The solid base of the lamp connected with the underside of Alan's chin and sent his neck whipping backward with a loud CRACK. Jughead only vaguely heard Betty's soft scream from behind him at the doorway.

Bright crimson droplets of blood sprayed across the pale yellow wall and Alan went down hard on his side. Jughead didn't give the older man time to even understand what had just happened before he brought the steel toe of his riding boot into direct contact with the asshole's nose. Alan rolled away and scrambled up onto all fours, but Jughead was ready for that and delivered a fast kick to his exposed ribs, sending him smashing into the wall.

"Juggie…?"

Jug turned and saw Betty standing not five feet behind him, looking small and shell-shocked, bundled in his jacket that seemed to swallow her whole. She was pale and trembling and he wanted nothing more than to sweep her up into his arms and carry her away from this hell on earth.

"It'll be okay, Coop," he assured her, keeping his voice as soft as he could though his entire being was still vibrating in rage at what had happened to her.

Betty closed the distance between them, her steps uncertain, her eyes on her stepfather who was coughing up blood onto the kitchen tiles. Alan looked up at her, his mouth oozing red, his eyes bloodshot.

Then the son of a bitch had the nerve to smile.

"There's my pretty girl," he wheezed.

On a guttural scream that came from some primal place deep within, Betty launched herself at him. She punched a clenched fist into his nose, clawed at his cheek, brought a knee up to his chest and basically pummeled away at any part of him that she could reach while screaming a barrage of curse words through her sobs.

As much as Jughead wanted to let her just continue to beat on him, he knew he couldn't. This wasn't her taking back control. This was chaos. This was panic and desperation and it wasn't what she needed. He came forward and wrapped his arms around her waist to drag her back.

"Shh," he cooed into her hair, "calm down, baby. I need you to calm down."

It took another full minute for Betty to get her breathing under control. When she finally did, Jughead turned her in his arms to face him. He slid his fingers into the hair at her temples, his large palms gently cradling her cheeks. Holding her gaze captive with his own, he said, "I need you to go upstairs-"

"But-"

"Go upstairs and pack a bag, Betty." He commanded, "I'm taking you to Veronica's."

Betty nodded, "Okay."

"Okay?"

"Okay."

"Good girl," He kissed her forehead and then gave her a tender nudge toward the staircase.

As Betty started up the stairs, she looked back at him over her shoulder in time to see him removing the black flannel shirt he wore over one of his "S" tee shirts. What she didn't see after she was more than halfway up the stairs was him draw the switchblade from his back pocket and flick it open.

She was upstairs for less than ten minutes. After pushing down the initial urge to vomit at discovering her bedroom door was split more or less in half where Alan had broken it down, her solid wooden vanity upended and so many of her belongings scattered throughout the room in the aftermath of his tantrum, she focused on gathering just some necessities and getting the hell out of there. She took the time to pull on a pair of jeans and socks and tennis shoes, but she wasn't ready to part with Jughead's jacket unless of course he asked for it. It was warm…and it smelled like him. She came back down the stairs where Jughead was standing by the open front door with his flannel shirt not only back in place, but buttoned up to his neck. He didn't let her even cast a glance toward the kitchen before he ushered her through the doorway and down the porch steps.

"I called Veronica," Jughead explained as he grabbed his helmet from the ground and handed it to her, "she knows we're coming."

Betty nodded as she latched the helmet under her chin and swung a leg onto the bike behind Jughead. He started the bike and took off down the street without another word. As the bike darted along the roads of Riverdale, Betty rested her head against Jughead's back, right between his shoulder blades. As scenes from the night's events crawled through her mind like slugs, she tightened her hold on Jughead's waist and let the tears fall freely. It was all too much.

They reached the Pembrooke. Inside, Betty had known that Jug would never just dump her on the doorstep and drive away, but all the same, she couldn't help but be grateful when he shut off the bike's engine and twisted his body around to face her.

"How you doing, Coop?"

She wiped at her still damp cheeks and tried a wobbly smile, "Shaken. Afriad. Disgusted. Embarrassed, horrified, the list…I…I don't-"

"Hey," Jughead breathed as he reached back to touch her face, brushing his thumb over her lips, "you're safe now. This was not your fault and you're safe."

"I know that. I do." Betty said, more to herself than to Jug.

He swallowed hard and licked his lips, his eyes tracing the line his thumb had made across her mouth, "I'd never let anyone hurt you, you know that?"

Betty didn't have to force the smile those words brought to her lips, "I do know that."

"God," he said, his voice little more than a rush of air, "you're so beautiful. I hate that this happened to you."

"It didn't." Betty said, "You stopped it."

"YOU stopped it," he insisted, "You're strong and brave and you got yourself out of that situation. Don't you ever forget that. I gave you a ride. You got yourself out of the house. You saved you, Coop. Betty Cooper is nobody's fucking victim."

"How do you do that?" She asked on a small laugh.

"What?"

"Always know exactly what to say?"

"I tell the truth." Jughead grinned, "Usually works out when you do that."

"Oh, my God, B!" A new voice entered into the conversation, and Jughead drew his hand back from her face as though she might bite him.

The pair looked over to see Veronica wrapped in a thick wool coat rushing toward them. Betty climbed off of the back of the motorcycle and let herself be enveloped in the warmth and goodness of the petite brunette's embrace. Veronica could love like no one Betty had ever met. No hesitation, nothing held back, full throttle or bust. She wrapped her arms around Betty and squeezed as though she could eradicate all the bad in the world if she just held on tight enough.

When she finally drew back, she held her small fingers up to Betty's mouth, almost exactly the same spot Jug had just been touching, "God, B, your face…"

"I'm fine."

"You're not fine," Veronica stated with a bluntness Betty loved, "but you will be. We're gonna get you nose deep in a tub of bubble bath, a nice glass of red…and then my mom is gonna call your mom."

Betty sucked in a shaky breath, "Okay. Okay that sounds…that sounds good, V."

"What about…" Veronica started.

"Oh, don't worry about that," Jughead spoke finally as he secured his helmet to his head, "the cops should be dealing with that scumbag right about now. I called them right after I called you. They, uh, they may reach out to you, Betty. You know, for a statement."

"I know." Betty nodded, "I guess I need to take pictures of…" her marks. She couldn't bring herself to finish the sentence.

"C'mon," Veronica said, wrapping a protective arm around her and rubbing her back, "we can figure this all out inside."

Jughead's phone buzzed in his pocket and he looked away from Betty to the screen. A text. Archie.

ARCHIE : Man, I screwed up. Bad.

Jughead hurriedly tapped out a reply.

JUGHEAD : What can I do, man?

Less than a second later.

ARCHIE : Come over.

JUGHEAD : omw

"Thanks for the ride, Jug." Betty said, wishing she could say so much more. Wishing she could stay with him.

He smirked as he shoved his phone back into his pocket, "No problem. Just be sure you give me a five star rating, huh."

With that, he kicked the bike to life and sped off without a backward glance.

It wasn't until hours later, after the cops had come and gone, taken their own pictures of Betty's face, arms and legs, that Betty found out some new details from Alice. Her mother had called, sobbing and apologizing on the phone as she promised that she was on the next plane home that should could get; that she was never leaving her daughter alone again; that they would see that bastard rotting in a prison cell for the rest of his miserable life. Alice also shared that not only had Alan been arrested by Riverdale's sheriff, but when the police had entered the residence to investigate, they had found him zip-tied to the piping under the sink with the word 'Rapist' carved into his abdomen.

Author's Note : That's it for now! More violence in this chapter but it was definitely more enjoyable to write. Sorry it is so long! Please let me know what you think! And what do you think Archie needs? I want to hear your theories!


	23. Chapter 22

Author's Note : Sorry it took me so long! Here is the next chapter! Working on 2 stories at once is a lot of work but I hope y'all enjoy this! Things are about to go down!

Chapter Twenty-Two Song : 'Youth' by Daughter

Disclaimer : Don't own the characters. Just really like them.

Chapter Twenty-Two :

When the headlight of Jughead's bike came into view, Archie was perched on the top step of his front porch waiting for his friend. His dad was already in bed and Archie didn't want to wake him…especially not with the conversation he was about to have with his oldest friend.

On the way over, Jughead had had a spirited mental debate with himself on whether or not tell Archie about Betty and her stepdad. He had finally decided against it. It wasn't his story to tell. That was Betty's decision; whatever she wanted to share and not share, he would back her up one hundred percent. He didn't know if that made him a lousy friend to Archie, but at this point, he had already made out with said friend's girlfriend twice so he wasn't exactly going to be winning any friendship awards in the near future. All he could do was try to be there for Archie for whatever he needed…and be there for Betty for whatever she needed. He didn't seem to have much choice on that front. She crooked her finger and he came running. Did she even know the power she had over him?

He shook all that away as he dismounted his bike and made his way up the porch steps to sit down beside his friend.

"Hey, man," Jughead said, not trying to suppress his concern.

"I screwed up, Jug."

"So you said," Jughead nodded, "you wanna tell me what happened?"

Warm, relaxed and swaddled in a fluffy purple robe, Betty lay with her head in Veronica's lap while her friend lovingly ran her hands through her hair, massaging her scalp.

"B?" Veronica said, her tone soft, soothing, "I gotta ask you something."

"Okay," Betty replied, fighting to keep her eyes open.

There was a long, tense pause that helped to shake a little of Betty's slumber away. It was as though Veronica were hesitant to ask her question.

"Why…why was it Jughead that you called when everything went down? Not that I'm not grateful and glad that he was there but…why him?"

Jughead felt the tension in his shoulders increase with every second of silence that went on between himself and Archie. Archie took a deep breath in through his nose and then pushed it all out through his mouth. One more long, deep breath and then he turned to look Jughead in the eye.

"Last night…at the party…" he started.

Jughead nodded encouragingly, "Yeah?"

"I…I had a lot to drink."

"Okay."

"I called Grundy."

The confession staggered Jughead, "Arch…"

"I know!" Archie exclaimed and covered his face with his hands, "But it gets worse."

"Tell me."

"When I called…she told me that she missed me. That she still thinks of me. That no one knows me like she does."

Jughead was starting to feel a little sick to his stomach. Who the hell did this woman, this _teacher _think she was? She was preying on this young man, screwing with his head on so many levels it was disgusting.

"I…I snuck away from the party, Jug. I went to her house."

"Holy shit," Jughead hissed and rubbed a hand hard across his mouth.

Jughead, in that moment, realized he was the last person on the face of the planet who should pass judgment over Archie, but it was a damned hard thing because he also thought about Betty. Archie was supposed to be Betty's boyfriend. Archie was the reason Jughead couldn't be with Betty when all Jughead wanted to do was worship her and take care of her. And Archie had abandoned a party at his own house to go a screw some cougar while Betty was out of her mind drunk and stoned…and locked away in a bedroom with Jughead.

There were so many complicated emotions running through Jughead's body in that moment, he felt as through he might explode from them all. Guilt, anger, betrayal, jealousy, fear. He had to figure out what the rational next move was…and above all things, he needed to protect his friend.

Betty sat up and looked at Veronica. Why Jughead? A simple question with a world of complications in the answer. But this was Veronica; V; the closest friend that Betty had ever had. She decided that she needed to be honest.

"When it happened…when I got away…all I could think, all I could feel was that if I could just get to Jughead…I would be safe. He would keep me safe." A warm tear fell from the corner of her eye, "I know it was wrong. I know I shouldn't feel that way but it was the only thing…it was everything in that moment."

"Hey!" Veronica said, catching her by the shoulders, "How you feel is _never _wrong, B. It's just how you feel. If Jughead is what you needed to feel safe, then that is just how it is. And you know what? You were right. He did come. He did keep you safe. There is nothing wrong or shameful in that, do you hear me?"

"What am I gonna do, V?" Betty asked, "I know you can see it?"

Veronica's brow drew together as she concentrated on her friend's deteriorating emotional state, "You're right. I can see it. I saw it this morning. If I'm being honest, I saw it at Pop's after the open house."

"I can't control it," Betty said, "And Juggie, he-"

"Juggie?"

"-he feels the same way I do. But, he loves Archie so much…"

"He's devoted to Archie," Veronica agreed, "Jughead is one of the most loyal friends on the planet. This must be eating away at him."

"Both of us."

Veronica drew in a deep breath and rubbed her hands over Betty's arms to warm them, "I don't know what you're going to do, B. I can't answer that for you," Betty looked away at that and Veronica continued, "What I can say is this; _whatever _you decide, I am _always _on _your _side, B. Always."

Betty's gaze snapped back up to lock onto Veronica's. And she broke down. The crying was uncontrolled and ugly as she collapsed into her friend's arms. There was a relief in the breakdown. She was angry and traumatized and confused and anxious and scared…but Veronica knew, now. She knew about everything between herself and Jughead and Archie; and she was sticking by her.

"Archie," Jughead said, pressing the tips of his fingers hard into his eyelids, "why would you do that, man? What about Betty?"

"I know," Archie said as he rubbed a hand over his hair, "I know! What do I do, Jug? If I tell her, I'll lose her!"

Jughead wanted to throw up. How had he gotten himself into this situation? Stupidity and hormones, that's how. "I get the feeling that Betty would be forgiving."

"I don't know, dude," Archie went on, "When she first found out about Grundy, I feel like she was a hair away from dumping me on the spot."

Jughead was pretty sure that all of that had had more to do with himself than with Grundy and Archie…but he couldn't say that. It wouldn't exactly serve to comfort Archie...at all.

"The thing is," Archie kept talking, "Grundy, she knows things. She…does things…to me…that…"

"Oh, God, Arch, I don't wanna hear this!"

"But that's what I'm saying, man! I don't know how to step away from that! It's like…it's like I'm addicted."

_That _Jughead could actually understand. He felt like that about Betty. Not that she had done anything overly carnal…but her sweetness, her laugh, her lips…he could easily see himself becoming dependent on something like that. But Betty was with Archie… but it was starting to seem that Betty wasn't enough to save his friend.

That alone blew Jughead's mind.

Betty wasn't enough?

Betty was everything.

Every-fucking-thing.

"I don't know what to do, Jug. What do I do?" Archie said, looking like he was on the brink of tears.

Okay, Jughead could figure this out. He could do this. He could fix this. Archie needed him. The guy who had been there for him since they were in preschool needed him now and by Christ, Jug would not fail him.

"Arch," Jughead said, getting to his feet, "I'm gonna take care of this, okay."

"What do you mean?" Archie asked.

"I'll fix everything. I don't want you to worry anymore."

First Archie, then Betty and now Archie again! What the hell? Why were the people he cared most about in the world all at once the targets for child predators? It made him want to call Jellybean in Toledo just to make sure there wasn't some skeevy gym teacher lingering just a little too long around the locker room doors.

'Fuck it' he mused to himself, a vicious edge lining his thoughts. He'd already dealt with one pervert tonight; might as well go for the bonus round.

"Okay, Arch," he said, "I don't want you to think about this anymore tonight, alright. Go inside. Try to get some sleep. I'm gonna take care of some things and we'll talk about this more tomorrow."

"Yeah," Archie said, nodding his head just a little too much akin to a dashboard bobblehead, "yeah, okay."

"Okay," Jughead gave him another pat on the shoulder before he stood up and started making his way to his bike. He immediately had his phone out of his pocket and was dialing. When his father's cell-phone went straight to voicemail, he hung up and dialed the Whyte Wyrm.

"Wyrm," came the gruff answer.

"Tall Boy, it's Jug. Put me through to dad."

"He's busy."

"Not for me."

"I said, he's busy," Tall Boy snarled, "Why don't you try callin' back a little later sunshi-"

"Hey!" Jughead snapped, "who the fuck do you think you're talking to right now?"

A long, strained silence was the only response.

"Exactly. That's what I thought. Now get my dad on the phone before you really piss me off."

There had always been an underlying tension between Jughead and Tall Boy, from the moment Jughead had become a full-fledged Serpent on his fifteenth birthday. Jug had proven himself to be an invaluable member to the gang from the word go and now at seventeen, he was FP's right hand and second in command. Tall Boy liked to spout off to anyone who would listen, as long as they were outside of earshot of FP of course, that the only reason Jughead had so much authority was because he was the old man's kid. Most everyone knew that was bullshit, though. Jughead was smart as a whip, tough and damn near fearless when he needed to be. More often than not, Serpents approached him first with their problems because he was known for his fast thinking and creative solutions.

But the thing that seemed to irritate Tall Boy the most about Jughead Jones was the kid's almost preternatural ability to inspire loyalty in those around him. The members of his inner circle would openly fight, bleed and die for their prince – and that pissed Tall Boy all the way off.

Jughead watched from the seat of his bike as Archie's bedroom light blinked on. Almost simultaneously, his father's voice came across the line.

"Jug?" FP said, "What's up, boy?"

"I need a meeting."

"Okay. Shouldn't be a problem. How about tomorrow at-"

"No. Tonight."

"Jug, it's almost-"

"Tonight. It has to be tonight."

Jughead listened to his father's heavy sigh. He could almost picture him pinching the bridge of his nose between his thumb and forefinger. "Alright. Alright, you got it, kid. One hour. This better be damn important."

"Oh, believe me, it is." Jughead said and then disconnected the call without waiting for his father's reply. He kicked the motorcycle to life and slung gravel in his wake as he peeled out of Archie's driveway, just as he saw his friend's bedroom light click off. He wasn't religious, but he sent up a quick prayer to whatever deity might be out there and listening to a weirdo kid on a motorcycle that his friend would get some much needed rest tonight. While he was at it, he threw another one out there for the pretty eyed blonde he'd become attached to, as well.

When Jughead arrived at the White Wyrm, most of the Serpents were already gathered in the back room. The absentees could make their excuses to FP later if they hadn't already. It was short notice and Jughead didn't feel as though he had the time to sit around and wait for everyone to be available. He spotted Toni sitting beside Sweet Pea and Fangs. Cheryl and Joaquin were missing. He would be inquiring about them at some point. He needed his inner circle.

Jug was greeted by a cacophony of mumbling and grumbling when he entered the gathering of Serpents; whispered speculation as to why they had been called and the reasons for the emergency meeting were bouncing around like pingpong balls.

FP spotted him enter and stepped into the center of the room to let out a loud, sharp whistle. "Hey! Shut the hell up!"

When the chatter died down, the Serpent King looked to his son, "Alright, Jug. You have the floor. What's rattling around that big brain of yours?"

Jughead took a quick and deep breath. He had been planning out what he was going to say for the entire ride to the bar. This wasn't going to be an easy sway; he was in for a battle. It was important that he be able to recognize that ahead of time, plan ahead and be prepared for any argument that might come his way. Which he was; he always was. It was one of the reasons that he was the second in command.

"Thanks, Dad," he said as he cleared his throat and moved to stand beside FP. FP quickly removed himself to the perimeter, allowing Jughead to take the center of the attention.

Jughead looked around at these people, his crew, his family. Then he started to speak.

"One of the things that I immediately came to love about the Serpent family is our innate desire to do the right thing. I need to tap into that desire now. It has come to my attention that I teacher at Riverdale High School has been actively pursuing a sexual relationship with a student."

He took a moment. Let the whispers rumble; let them make bad assumptions. Sometimes, hype could be useful.

"This teacher is messing with this kid's mind; has him twisted up so tightly he doesn't know which way is up and which way is down. He doesn't want to relationship to continue, but she refuses to let him go. I would like to help put stop to this-"

"What do we care if some Northsider is banging his teacher?" a voice from near the back of the room called out.

The question was met with some nodding and agreement.

Jug had, of course, been prepared for this.

"This student is a friend of the Serpents. He has had our back on more than one occasion."

"Who is it?" Someone called.

"I won't give you his name. I won't violate his privacy in that way," but even as Jug said the words, he made long, significant eye contact with his father. It only took a second before he saw the light of recognition in FP's eyes and the older man crossed his arms, looked away and swore under his breath. Archie was a second son to FP. Always had been.

"Riverdale is our town. There is a predator on the loose in _our town._ This woman is using her position of authority to manipulate someone weaker than herself for sexual favor. I don't know about you, but that is wrong in my book…no matter what side of the damn train tracks she happens to reside on."

And even bigger contingent of nodding and agreement came from Jughead's statement.

"What do you want us to do?" This from Toni.

"I want to run this bitch out of town," Jughead said, his voice flat and serious, "I need help to do it."

FP straightened, "Let's take a vote!"

Everyone agreed to the vote and when the hands were counted, the positive outweighed the negative by a significant number. Elated that his crew has once again chosen to do the right thing, Jughead looked to his father. FP nodded his head. "In unity, there is strength!"

"In unity, there is strength!" came the return.

"Alright, boy," FP said, crossing to stand by Jughead's side, "You gotta plan?"

Jughead grinned. Of course he had a plan. He always had a plan.

Author's Note : Juggie always has a plan… Let me know what you think!


	24. Chapter 23

Author's Note : This was a difficult chapter for me to write. Important things happen and I really hope it flows the way I want it to. Please, please, please let me know what you think!

Disclaimer : Don't own em. Like em a lot.

Chapter Twenty-Three Song Choice : "Make a Shadow" by Meg Myers

Chapter Twenty-Three :

It was just after two in the morning when a sudden noise roused Geraldine Grundy from her bed where she had been sleeping the sound sleep undeserved of someone with her particular predilections. She sat bolt upright when the sound sliced through the fog of her slumber, pushed her hair out of her face and fumbled on her nightstand for her glasses. Once she had pushed them onto her nose, she had to bite back on her instinct to call out a questioning 'hello?' into the pitch dark. If there were someone there, in her house, in the middle of the night/morning, then they certainly wouldn't be someone that she would want to call out a greeting to. She eased the covers away from her body and swung her legs over the side of the bed, the hardwood floor cold against her bare feet. She crept across the floor on her tiptoes, grabbing her cotton robe from the back of her cushy reading chair that sat beside her bedside table and oh-so-slowly made her way through the house.

In her brain, Geraldine cursed herself for leaving her gun in a lockbox in her car. What the hell good did it do her in her car!? She again found herself halfway tempted to call out her ex-husband's name but also again, managed to choke the impulse down. Instead, she tiptoed her way throughout the house, checking each corner, every shadow, behind every door and each lock on every window.

Nothing was out of place. Everything was as it should have been. She let out the breath that she had been holding and shook her head at her own silliness before turning and walking back to her bedroom; not on her tiptoes. It was a sad day when the sound of an old house settling could frighten a grown woman awake. She had just reached for the covers on her bed when her bedside lamp flicked on.

Geraldine let out a shriek and spun around, tripped over her own feet and landed with a bounce in a seated position on her mattress.

There, perched in her cushy corner chair like an indolent cat was Jughead Jones, one of her students.

"Good Morning, Geraldine," he said, his voice low and dripping with menace.

"What are you doing here?" Geraldine said as she pushed herself up from the mattress and planted her hands on her hips in an attempt to make herself as authoritative as she could given her disadvantage.

"We needed to have a chat," Jughead said, "I thought it would be best if we had it privately; you know, away from all the prying eyes and distractions of school property."

The initial expression that crossed Grundy's face was not fear or panic, Jughead noticed. It was excitement. Her eyes swept the long, lean limbs of his body as she seemingly sized him up. He watched her suck her bottom lip into mouth and release it before her eyes met his, bright with lust, pupils blown wide. She let one side of her robe fall from her shoulder and tilted her head to the side to elongate the line of her neck.

"What do you want?" she asked her voice husky in a way that made Jughead's stomach twist a little bit.

It was after the question that she sensed a movement in her peripheral vision. A tall leather clad figure appeared from the shadows of her open doorway wearing some kind of a snake mask. He didn't fully enter the bedroom, just hovered at the threshold, half in – half out of shadow. The effect was disconcerting and it was in that moment that Grundy seemed to realize that she was in trouble.

"You know who I am?" Jughead asked.

Geraldine turned her attention back to dark-haired youth who had risen from the chair and straightened to his imposing six-foot stature.

"Of course I know who you are, Jughead," Geraldine snapped, her voice no longer breathy. She jerked her robe back up to cover her exposed shoulder.

Her closet door creaked open, revealing another snake-faced figure. Another appeared as if by magic from the foot of her bed. It seemed every shadow in the room began to move to reveal an army of tall male forms with snakeheads. She even spotted a few on the outside, peering in through the glass of her bedroom's windows like monsters from a small child's dream.

"But, you know _who _I am?" Jughead reiterated as he took a menacing step closer, "You know what I'm capable of?"

Geraldine Grundy's entire body went on high alert as the distance between them decreased. Of course she knew who he was. Of could she knew the things that he could do. Her immediate arousal at his presence had momentarily blinded her to the precariousness of her situation. She saw it clearly then. She tried very hard to swallow the lump in her throat, her eyes went down to the floor, unable to continue looking into Jughead Jones' green eyes; his snake eyes. She nodded at him. It was slight, but he noticed the motion.

Jughead was pleased with the tremble he detected in the older woman. She was afraid of him. She was afraid of his crew. That was good.

"Excellent," he hissed, "because I know who you are, too. I know _what_ you are. I know what you've done."

Now, she did make eye contact with him…and the look in her eyes was pure unrestrained panic. Like the night of the _Taste of Riverdale _festival, Jug felt a certain satisfaction at seeing the terror in the woman's eyes. He didn't take joy in scaring women; it wasn't a goal he ever set for himself. But he made an exception in this case. Geraldine Grundy was no mere woman. She was, in his opinion, a monster of the worst kind; the type that preyed on a vulnerable young man with obvious mother issues. No, Jughead was not the type to take delight in scaring a woman, but he didn't hate that he was able to put the fear of God into a predator. He wouldn't lose any sleep over Grundy.

"What do you want?" she asked, her voice no louder than a whisper.

"That's simple, _Geraldine," _Jughead snarled, "I want you out of my town."

"Wha—"

"Leave Riverdale." Jughead stated, "I want you to leave Riverdale and never come back."

"But…I have a life here. My job-"

"You forfeited your job when you slept with a student!"

Grundy flinched at his outburst; she took a step backward and folded her hands over her chest as though she could use them to settle her heart. Jughead could see her throat working as she struggled to swallow.

"Go to Greendale. Go to Centerville. Frankly, I don't give a damn as long as you're out of Riverdale."

Before his eyes, Grundy's demeanor changed once again. He watched as she transformed back into the role of seduction and it sickened him. She tilted her head slightly forward and looked up at him through her eyelashes. She closed the distance between them and lifted one slender hand to trace her fingers along the zipper of his jacket. She paid no mind to the audience of Serpents that were observing the exchange. She didn't seem to care. She slid her fingers down the lapel, letting the backs of her knuckles brush along the line of Jughead's abdomen.

"Perhaps," she said, her voice breathy again as her fingertips grazed the snap of his jeans, "you and I could come to a different, more enjoyable arrangement…"

Jughead laughed without mirth and snatched hold of her wrist to stop her from touching him, "Sorry, but horny cougar teacher was never my trope of choice."

Grundy glared at him and tried to jerk her arm free but Jughead held tight.

"You will leave Riverdale. Our mutual friend, we both know who I'm talking about, you will not call him. You will not text him. You will not say goodbye. If he calls or texts you, you will not respond. As far as he is concerned, you will drop off the face of the earth with no explanation or reason. Do I make myself clear?"

"Do I have a choice?"

"Sure." Jughead smiled, his voice deceptively light, "You could always refuse. But then…" he stepped closer to her and locked his eyes on hers until she broke eye contact to look at the floor, "as we discussed, we both know what I'm capable of if you do."

She didn't look back up at him, "I'll pack my things; I'll be gone by morning."

Jughead flung her arm away, "Smart choice."

Jughead spent that night stretched across the bench seat of his father's old pickup truck, parked outside of Grundy's house. The pale blue light of dawn had only just begun to overtake the inky blackness of night when she emerged from within with the last of her personal belongings. True to her word, at least in this, she had spent the entire night packing, making trip after to trip, carrying load after load out to her little yellow Volkswagon beetle.

On a yawn, Jughead rubbed his eyes, grabbed the Pop's takeout bag that Fangs had dropped by half an hour before and shoved open the driver's side door. He lazily circled to the front of the truck and hopped up to sit on the hood as he ate his breakfast sandwich in contentment and watched her toss one last bag into the front floorboard of her car. The noise of the truck door drew her attention and she peered over at him.

He stared her down, his scowled never wavered, his disgust for her an unveiled threat. Even from his distance across the street, he could see her shoulders tense. Good.

She blinked. Looked away. Like the sick, twisted coward that she was. Then she got into her car, slid cheap plastic sunglasses shaped like red hearts onto her nose and drove away.

Good riddance.

It was a little after 11:30am and Betty was sitting alone in a booth at Pop's. She had sent Archie a text that morning, telling him not to pick her up from her house and that she would just meet him at Pop's.

In all honesty, she had almost forgotten their plans altogether, that phone conversation felt like years ago rather than hours. So much had happened. So much and so little.

Andre had dropped her at Pop's and then headed back to the Pembrooke. Alice was scheduled to land at the airport at 3pm. Veronica was going to drive Betty there to meet her. Together, she and her mother would figure out what the next steps needed to be. She knew she was a disaster. She was always meticulous about her appearance, something her mother had drilled into her since birth, but today she felt unkempt…her ponytail was loose, her eyes were puffy, and her clothes were wrinkled.

She sat drumming her fingers on the tabletop and nursing her glass of water, so lost in her thoughts that she didn't hear when someone approached her table.

"So," Cheryl said without preamble and cocked one hip out to the side to rest a red nailed fist on it, "you're not as innocent as you let on, are you little Cooper?"

Betty blinked out of her reverie, "What?"

"Maybe you're more like your party-girl sister than I thought."

"What are you-"

"Oh, please!" Cheryl rolled her eyes, "Don't act dumb! I saw you. You were basically begging him for it."

Betty's vision went hazy.

Cheryl was just about to start spouting off about poor oblivious Archie when she saw all of the color drain from Betty's face. Her throat started to work violently and wrenched, mewling sounds escaped from her tightly pressed lips. The lack of color in her cheeks brought the blue and yellow bruising high on her cheekbone into stark relief.

"Oh my God," Cheryl gasped, "Betty, did someone hurt you?"

She watched in horror as Betty pressed both hands over her mouth and tears started to flow freely from her eyes.

"Betty, did someone do that to you?" Cheryl slid into the booth beside her and touched her arm to offer as much comfort as she could, "Listen to me, Betty, if someone did that to you, you need to tell Jughead. He's a really good guy and he _will _take care of it."

Betty shook her head furiously but she couldn't seem to form any words.

"I'm sorry, Betty," Cheryl said, the words a foreign force on her tongue, and wrapped her arm around the blonde girl's shoulders and pulled her closer, "I saw you kissing Jughead yesterday. I didn't know someone had hurt you. I was being a bitch. It's kind of my thing, if you didn't notice." Cheryl grasped Betty by the shoulders and turned her so she could look into her watery eyes, "Jug…her cares about you. He's smart and he has resources. He can handle whoever did that to your face."

"He already did," Betty said, her voice small through her tears.

"What?"

"I called him as soon as…" Betty struggled with her words, "Jug, he came right away."

"Of course he did," Cheryl nodded and ran a hand over Betty's arms. Betty turned her face in Cheryl's shoulder and wept. It was in that moment that Cheryl decided that Betty Cooper would no longer be a target. At least not for her. When the blonde had first arrived in town, the only think Cheryl had been able to see had been her sunny smile, shiny hair and perfect family; a member of which she had blamed for the disappearance and subsequent death of her most beloved twin. But in that moment, while Betty laid her head on Cheryl's shoulder and wept, the redhead understood the truths that they both shared. The Cooper smile, the perfect, it was all a façade; much in the same way Cheryl used her venomous wit. They were both fragile and just a little broken inside and working overtime to hide that fact. Betty was a kindred spirit, and Cheryl decided right then and there that she had an ally for life. Cheryl held her tighter and brought a hand up to stroke over her disheveled blonde hair.

It was in that position that Archie entered the diner and found them.

"Uh…hey…" he greeted, unsure.

"Not now, Andrews," Cheryl said as she fixed him with a steady glare, almost overwhelmed by her newly discovered protective instincts where the youngest Cooper was concerned.

"Um, I'm supposed to be meeting with-"

"I'm aware. As you can see, she's not exactly up to conversation at the moment."

Betty let out another loud, choking sob and buried her face further into Cheryl's neck as though she could hide.

"Look, Archie, she'll call you when she is in a better place to talk, okay. Right now, believe me when I say that what she needs is a little girl time."

As though in universal evidence that 'girl time' was exactly what Betty needed at the moment, the bell above the door rang and Veronica entered. She spotted Betty sobbing in Cheryl's arms and immediately rushed over to join them.

"Ronnie…" Archie started, hoping for an ally.

"Look, Archikins," Veronica said, not without sympathy, "I know you had plans with B today but I think they need to go to the back burner for now okay."

"I don't understand what's wrong." Archie said.

"I know," Veronica said, again sympathetic to his plight, "I know you don't. But I can't clarify anything. It's not my place. Trust me and suffice it say that Betty needs me right now. She'll come to you when she's ready."

"But-"

"Arch!" Veronica snapped, "Rain check it, okay! I _said _she will call you when she'd ready and that is not right now!"

With that, Veronica touched Cheryl's shoulder, "My car is outside."

Cheryl nodded and helped Betty rise from the booth. Archie watched as his girlfriend was flanked by her two fierce protectors and led from the restaurant. Arm in arm, raven, blonde and red all in a pretty little row.

Author's Note : I love Cheryl. I didn't like her in the first season but by season two, I was devoted to her. She has so much depth and really love how tough she is while really inside being a marshmallow. And I think she genuinely loves Betty. I wanted to convey the beginnings of that relationship here. I hope I succeeded.

Also, yes, Betty's breakup has been thwarted yet again. Don't hate me! But tell me what you think!


End file.
